Race/ethnicity and workplace discrimination: results of a national survey of physicians.
BACKGROUND
Promoting racial/ethnic diversity within the physician workforce is a national priority. However, the extent of racial/ethnic discrimination reported by physicians from diverse backgrounds in today's health-care workplace is unknown.


OBJECTIVE
To determine the prevalence of physician experiences of perceived racial/ethnic discrimination at work and to explore physician views about race and discussions regarding race/ethnicity in the workplace.


METHODS
Cross-sectional, national survey conducted in 2006-2007.


METHODS
Practicing physicians (total n = 529) from diverse racial/ethnic backgrounds in the United States.


RESULTS
We examined physicians' experience of racial/ethnic discrimination over their career course, their experience of discrimination in their current work setting, and their views about race/ethnicity and discrimination at work. The proportion of physicians who reported that they had experienced racial/ethnic discrimination "sometimes, often, or very often" during their medical career was substantial among non-majority physicians (71% of black physicians, 45% of Asian physicians, 63% of "other" race physicians, and 27% of Hispanic/Latino(a) physicians, compared with 7% of white physicians, all p < 0.05). Similarly, the proportion of non-majority physicians who reported that they experienced discrimination in their current work setting was substantial (59% of black, 39% of Asian, 35% of "other" race, 24% of Hispanic/Latino(a) physicians, and 21% of white physicians). Physician views about the role of race/ethnicity at work varied significantly by respondent race/ethnicity.


CONCLUSIONS
Many non-majority physicians report experiencing racial/ethnic discrimination in the workplace. Opportunities exist for health-care organizations and diverse physicians to work together to improve the climate of perceived discrimination where they work.
Nunez-Smith
Marcella
M
Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars Program, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA. Marcella.Nunez-Smith@yale.edu
Pilgrim
Nanlesta
N
Wynia
Matthew
M
Desai
Mayur M
MM
Jones
Beth A
BA
Bright
Cedric
C
Krumholz
Harlan M
HM
Bradley
Elizabeth H
EH
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D018864:Cultural Diversity; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000208:ethnology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010820:Physicians / Q000592:standards; D011287:Prejudice; D044469:Racial Groups / Q000208:ethnology*; D014481:United States; D017132:Workplace / Q000592:standards