School of Nursing and Midwifery, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Vic., Australia; and Wellbeing and Preventable Chronic Diseases Division, Menzies School of Health Research, Darwin, NT, Australia; and Corresponding author.
Department of Business Law and Taxation, Monash Business School, Monash University, Caulfield, Vic., Australia.
Aust Health Rev. 2022 Feb;46(1):1-4. doi: 10.1071/AH21189.
Patients from racial/ethnic minority backgrounds can experience racism and race-based discrimination in the health system, enduring unfair and inferior treatment that negatively affects physical and mental health and well-being and may, in some cases, lead to premature and avoidable death. Racism within the health system also acts as a deterrent to health care access because individuals may choose to avoid healthcare settings for fear of repeated exposure to racism. Racism and its impacts in health are well documented and health care-related regulatory organisations and antidiscrimination commissions in Australia are the recipients of racism complaints that occur within the health system. However, the extent and nature of complaints of racism in healthcare settings (i.e. self-reported incidents of racism) and how they are managed by regulatory organisations and antidiscrimination commissions are not well understood. This paper provides a summary of existing approaches to complaints in the Australian health system related to healthcare regulatory organisations and antidiscrimination commissions. We offer recommendations for improvements to data collection and dissemination of racism complaints to better understand the nature and extent of racism and race-based discrimination in the health system, and thus inform changes to process and practices that will reduce the incidence of racism and improve health outcomes. What is known about the topic? Patient complaints of racism in the health system are received by health care-related regulatory organisations and antidiscrimination commissions. However, the extent and nature of the complaints of racism in healthcare settings and how they are managed are not well understood. What does the paper add? This paper provides a summary of existing approaches to complaints in the Australian health system related to healthcare regulatory organisations and antidiscrimination commissions. We identify ways that existing complaints processes and mechanisms can be strengthened to enhance the safety and quality of patient care. What are the implications for practitioners? Practitioners, healthcare managers and policy makers can enhance existing complaints processes and mechanisms in order to improve the collection and use of healthcare racism complaints that can inform strategies to reduce healthcare racism and improve patient care.
患者的种族/族裔背景可能会在医疗体系中经历种族主义和基于种族的歧视，他们会受到不公平和低等的待遇，这会对他们的身心健康和幸福感产生负面影响，在某些情况下，甚至可能导致过早和可避免的死亡。医疗体系中的种族主义也会阻碍人们获得医疗保健，因为个人可能会因为担心反复遭受种族主义而选择避免医疗保健环境。种族主义及其对健康的影响在医学文献中已有充分记载，澳大利亚的医疗保健相关监管机构和反歧视委员会收到了在医疗体系中发生的种族主义投诉。然而，医疗保健环境中种族主义投诉的程度和性质（即自我报告的种族主义事件）以及监管机构和反歧视委员会如何处理这些投诉，人们对此并不了解。本文总结了澳大利亚医疗体系中与医疗保健监管机构和反歧视委员会有关的投诉现有处理方法。我们提出了改进数据收集和种族主义投诉传播的建议，以便更好地了解医疗体系中种族主义和基于种族的歧视的性质和程度，从而为改进流程和实践提供信息，以减少种族主义的发生并改善健康结果。 关于这个主题已知的内容是什么？ 医疗保健相关监管机构和反歧视委员会收到了患者对医疗体系中种族主义的投诉。然而，医疗保健环境中种族主义投诉的程度和性质以及如何处理这些投诉，人们对此并不了解。 本文增加了什么新内容？ 本文总结了澳大利亚医疗体系中与医疗保健监管机构和反歧视委员会有关的投诉现有处理方法。我们确定了如何加强现有投诉流程和机制，以增强患者护理的安全性和质量。 这对从业者意味着什么？ 从业者、医疗保健管理人员和政策制定者可以改进现有的投诉流程和机制，以改善对医疗保健种族主义投诉的收集和使用，从而为减少医疗保健种族主义和改善患者护理提供信息。
