Studies show racial disparities in healthcare still going strong

From the Washington Post (free registration req'd):

Black Americans still get far fewer operations, tests, medications and other life-saving treatments than whites, despite years of efforts to erase racial disparities in health care and help African Americans live equally long and healthy lives, according to three major studies being published today.

So, is the move toward cultural competency CME a good one? When I wrote the article about N.J.'s new requirements, I got an earful and a half from some of the physicians I spoke with about why it is unnecessary, a bad idea, insulting, even. Then you see articles like this one, and it's obvious something's off-kilter. The question is, I think, how to address it to improve patient care for all patients without requiring docs and others on their teams to become cultural anthropologists on top of their current educational needs.

(For an extensive list of cultural competency resources, go to Medical Meetings' home page and scroll down to the box on the right side of the page.)