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Much More Than An Apology

On Thursday, July 10th, the American Medical Association issued an apology for past inequalities in the treatment of African American physicians and patients. This apology was the result of an AMA panel convened to investigate the disparities in access and outcomes between caucasian and African-Americans in the US. Such an acknowledgment by the AMA is a dramatic move forward in claiming responsibility for health disparities between minorities and caucasians in this country, but what one should hope is the first step toward repairing the damage and reducing health disparities.

The AMA's inquiry and its resultant apology acknowledges that the medical profession has doubtless played a role in health disparities in the US. Although the AMA's taking responsibility, both for its lack of good treatment for black physicians and patients, is laudible; the AMA (and other healthcare associations) must go beyond apologizing for its past wrongs if it is going to have an impact on the current problem of health inequalities that currently plague our healthcare system.

Next, such groups should analyze the resulting effects of those wrongs, such as the lack of trust in the current US healthcare system, the disproportionate number of trained minority health professionals, and inadequate resources to provide access and quality care to minority groups. This already has been done, for example in the IOM report, Unequal Treatment published in 2002, but more work, particularly by leading healthcare organizations and advocacy groups will have significant political and symbolic impact on policy makers and the health care industry. Once this work is done by these major groups and improved understanding occurs, then these politically powerful groups can take action to make change to reduce the health disparities for which they historically have held some responsibility.

Now that the AMA has assessed its historical role in the current health disparities problem in the US, the next step, therefore, must be for the leading healthcare professional organization to generate a plan for how physicians can take proactive steps to reduce health disparities. Thus, I share Matthew Wynia's (AJOB's public health editor) hope that AMA will lead the way among healthcare organizations that will continue to acknowledge, address, and reduce the problem of health disparities in the US.

Bravo to the AMA, and let's hope that this work continues to eliminate inequalities in healthcare in the US.