In addition to Black physicians being underrepresented, there is an income disparity between Black and White physicians, U.S. Census data shows.
There has been a modest increase in the percentage of Black physicians in the healthcare workforce for more than a century and Black physicians remain underrepresented, a new journal article says.
Earlier research has shown benefits from racial diversity in the physician workforce. For example, a study published in 2019 found that patients are more likely to undergo preventive services when under the care of racially concordant clinicians.
The new journal article, which was published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, is based on U.S. Census Bureau data. The journal article features several key data points.
- In 1900, Blacks accounted for 11.6% of the U.S. population and 1.3% of physicians were Black.
- In 1940, Blacks accounted for 9.7% of the population and 2.8% of physicians were Black. Only 0.1% of physicians were Black women.
- In 2018, Blacks accounted for 12.8% of the population and 5.4% of physicians were Black. The percentage of physicians who were Black women was 2.8%
- The data shows a significant racial income disparity between Black and White male physicians. In 2018 dollars, the income gap was about $68,000 in 1960 and $50,000 in 2018.
The author of the journal article wrote that the proportion of Black physicians has remained low for more than a century and a racial income disparity has persisted.
"Little progress has been made in increasing the representativeness of the physician workforce and in achieving racial equity in physician pay. The proportion of physicians who are Black has increased by only 4 percentage points over the course of 120 years. The proportion of physicians who are Black men remains essentially unchanged since 1940, with the increase since then in proportion of physicians who are Black coming from an increase in Black women," wrote Dan Ly, MD, PhD, MPP, an assistant professor at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.
Ly told HealthLeaders the lack of progress in increasing the proportion of Black physicians is concerning. "If we care about the health of the U.S. population, particularly the health of Black patients, we should care about how few Black physicians we have and the glacial progress we have made as a medical system in increasing that number," he said.
Medical education is a key factor in increasing the representation of Black physicians in the profession, Ly said. "That takes medical leadership, starting with leadership at medical schools."
Related: Sexist and Racial/Ethnic Microaggressions Contribute to Physician Burnout, Study Finds
Christopher Cheney is the CMO editor at HealthLeaders.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
In 1900, Blacks accounted for 11.6% of the U.S. population and 1.3% of physicians were Black.
In 2018, Blacks accounted for 12.8% of the population and 5.4% of physicians were Black.