title: Racial bias in patient selection of an obstetrician.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this study was to determine racial bias in patient selection of an obstetrician.
  
  
  METHODS
  Obstetrical patients referred for genetic counseling at a community hospital were included. Self-reported patient race/ethnicity were compared with obstetrician's race/ethnicity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The patient population (n = 1,519) was 27.8% white, 25% Hispanic, 22.5% black, 20.5% Asian, and 4.3% other. Physician race/ethnicity was 47.8% white, 28.8% Asian, 14.4% Hispanic, and 9% black. Patient race/ethnicity and physician race/ethnicity were correlated (contingency coefficient = 0.54, P < 0.001). White and Asian patients were more likely to select obstetricians of their own racial background (72.7% and 66.6%) than were Hispanic or black patients (36% and 24.6%, P < 0.001). Patients of all races were more likely to be under the care of a physician of their own race than of a different race.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In an urban community with a racially diverse population, there is a strong racial bias in patient selection of an obstetrician.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of Texas Medical School Houston, TX 77030, USA. karen.m.schneider@uth.tmc.edu
authors.forename: Karen M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Schneider
authors.forename: Michelle N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Strecker
authors.forename: Pamela A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Promecene
authors.forename: Manju
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Monga
mesh_terms: D001213:Asian; D044383:Black People; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino; D006801:Humans; D009774:Obstetrics; D017060:Patient Satisfaction / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011287:Prejudice; D014481:United States; D014505:Urban Population; D044465:White People; D001741:Black or African American