Disparities in Patient Experiences, Health Care Processes, and Outcomes: the Role of Patient–provider Racial, Ethnic, and Language Concordance

Ethnic minorities are poorly represented among physicians and other health professionals. In what is called “race-discordant” relationships, patients from ethnic groups frequently are treated by professionals from a different ethnic background. The research reviewed here documents ongoing racial and ethnic disparities in health care and links patient–physician race and ethnic concordance with higher patient satisfaction and better health care processes. Based on this research, the authors issue the following recommendations: 1) health policy should be revised to encourage workforce diversity by funding programs that support the recruitment of minority students and medical faculty; 2) health systems should optimize their providers’ ability to establish rapport with minority patients to improve clinical practice and health care delivery; 3) cultural competency training should be incorporated into the education of health professionals; and 4) future research should provide additional insight into the mechanisms by which concordance of patient and physician race, ethnicity, and language influences processes and outcomes of care. Support for this research was provided by The Commonwealth Fund. The views presented here are those of the authors and should not be attributed to The Commonwealth Fund or its directors, officers, or staff. Additional copies of this (#753) and other Commonwealth Fund publications are available online at www.cmwf.org. To learn about new Fund publications when they appear, visit the Fund’s website and register to receive e-mail alerts.