End of Life Disparities: The African American Community

Health disparities and health outcomes for African Americans, is egregious… Regarding pain medication, a 2019 published article offered that the pain of African Americans is systematically under-diagnosed and under-treated

Our guests today will offer stories and discuss insights on end of life care in the African American community. Our guests in this episode include:

• Patrick Smith, professor at the Duke Divinity School and associate faculty with the Trent Center for Bioethics, Humanities, and History of Medicine at Duke University School of Medicine.
• Dr Farr Curlin, Josiah C. Trent Professor of Medical Humanities in the Trent Center for Bioethics, Humanities and History of Medicine, and Co-Director of the Theology Medicine, and Culture Initiative at Duke Divinity School.
• Claretta Dupree, Chair of the Academy of Fellows at the Center for Bioethics and Human Dignity at Trinity International University, Deerfield, Illinois.

Additional resources relating to or referenced in this episode:

• Center for Practical Bioethics, Richard Payne, MD
• Palliative Care in the African American Community
• Perceptual Contributions to Racial Bias in Pain Recognition
• Racial Bias in Pain Assessment and Treatment Recommendations, and False Beliefs About Biological Differences Between Blacks and Whites

Sessions are monitored on a monthly basis by CME office and content confirmed to be evidence based and without bias. Secondly, the CME Program Director and CME Coordinator reviewed and approved all material prior to the educational activity being approved to confirm that the educational activity was evidenced based. Peer reviewed journals and other literature are used, as applicable during discussions.

References for Further Study:

• Boucher, N. A., Raghavan, M., Smith, A., Arnold, R., & Johnson, K. S. (2016). Palliative care in the African American community# 204. Journal of palliative medicine, 19(2), 228-230.
• Elk, R., Johnson, K., Reaves, A., White-Hammond, G., Williams, S., & Vaughan, L. (2019). “God Is Able”: Miracles and Hope in Our African-American Patients: Challenges, Historical Perspective and the Way Forward (FR459). Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, 57(2), 427-428.
• Hoffman, K. M., Trawalter, S., Axt, J. R., & Oliver, M. N. (2016). Racial bias in pain assessment and treatment recommendations, and false beliefs about biological differences between blacks and whites. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 113(16), 4296-4301.
• Johnson, J., Hayden, T., True, J., Simkin, D., Colbert, L., Thompson, B., … & Martin, L. (2016). The impact of faith beliefs on perceptions of end-of-life care and decision making among African American church members. Journal of palliative medicine, 19(2), 143-148.
• Rhodes, R. L., Ukoha, N. C., Williams, K. A., Elwood, B., Knox-Rice, T., Lee, S. C., … & Halm, E. A. (2019). Understanding underuse of advance care planning among a cohort of African American patients with advanced cancer: formative research that examines gaps in intent to discuss options for care. American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine®, 36(12), 1057-1062.

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