Diversity in Medicine
Topic write up

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Use MedlinePlus to further your understanding and locate resources for Health Disparities.


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Persons of color bear a disproportionate share of health disparities. This is due to a number of factors including a lack of inclusion and the historical injustices of BIPOC groups in medical research. The National Institutes of Health want to change that.

NIH LogoThe National Institutes of Health (NIH), a part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is the nation’s medical research agency — making important discoveries that improve health and save lives. NIH is made up of 27 Institutes and Centers, each with a specific research agenda, often focusing on particular diseases or body systems.

National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) is the primary NIH organization for research on Health Disparities. A section on its website highlights recent research findings on minority health and health disparities by its grantees. Visit the Research Spotlights section for a quick glance at research that spans diverse topics affecting health disparity populations, such as maternal health and sexual and gender minority (SGM) mental health.


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Race, Racism, and Health is a collection of research and perspectives on the effects of race and racism on health in the United States compiled by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the nation’s largest philanthropy dedicated solely to health. Since 1972, they have supported research and programs targeting some of America’s most pressing health issues.

Fact Sheet: Health Disparities by Race and Ethnicity by Sofia Carratala and Connor Maxwell, Center for American Progress, May 7, 2020

Race, Medicine, and Health in America is a Higher Education Module developed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM). It is designed to instruct intersecting narratives of race, environment, and health through the use of selected case studies: including lead poisoning, asthma, the Environmental Injustice Movement, the 1995 Chicago Heat Wave, and Hurricane Katrina. It is divided into six class modules with reading resources and discussion questions.

The Importance of Diversity in Healthcare and How to Promote It. Alyssa Jordan. Provo College: Health. June 17, 2020

Featured Books
Title: Becoming Dr. Q
Author Alfredo Quiñones-Hinojosa, M.D.
Publisher University of California Press
Year published 2011
Book image Becoming Dr. Q book cover
Title: Black Man in a White Coat
Author Damon Tweedy, M.D.
Publisher Picador
Year published 2016
Book image Black Man in a White Coat book cover
Title: Take My Hand
Author Dolen Perkins-Valdez
Publisher Penguin Random House
Year published 2022
Book image Take My Hand book cover
Title: The Beauty in Breaking
Author Michele Harper, M.D.
Publisher Penguin Random House
Year published 2020
Book image Beauty in Breaking book cover

Terms of use: Network of the National Library of Medicine (NNLM) staff offer these health discussion resources for educational use. The materials included do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the author, publisher, or the sponsoring agencies of the National Library of Medicine (NLM) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH).