Thread by @plouie01

Today I presented my research on the representations of race and skin tone in medical textbook imagery at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center’s Grand Rounds. The main finding from this paper is that medical textbooks overrepresent light skin tones and underrepresent dark skin tones. 1/

We find this particularly problematic at the topic level of analysis. If medical students are taught to recognize symptoms of disease primarily on white and light skinned patients, medical textbooks may contribute to racial disparities in health care. 2/

For example, in Bates the model patient is White and all the melanomas are presented on light skin tones. The need to look for melanomas on nails, hand, and feet of patients with dark skin tones is only referenced textually as a small note. 3/

Some doctors will miss the signs on Black patients w/ dark skin tones because they do not know where to look. Other doctors may miss the signs on patients with light skin tones if they assume the “high-risk” skin cancer population is White. 4/

In a recent @NEJM article, @LashNolen highlights the lack of representation of lyme disease on darker skin tones in her medical training. Nolen reports that one potential implication of this omission is that lyme disease is often diagnosed later in Black vs. White patients. 5/

I also had the opportunity to discuss the issue of the race correction in medicine. I drew on the work of Dr. Anderson and Dr. @DarshaliVyas . 6/

I was also excited to highlight the important work that Dr. @RheaBoydMD and her team of Black health care workers are doing to provide Black communities with accessible facts about COVID-19 vaccines. #BetweenUsAboutUs 7/

Finally, I discussed the importance of redistributive policies. In order to improve the health of Black Americans, we need to focus on policies that will provide Black Americans with the social and economic resources to maintain and protect their health in the first place. 8/

Link to full article here: sciencedirect.com/science/articl…