• Insa M Schmidt, Merav Shohet, Mariana Serrano, Pranav Yadati, Hanni Menn-Josephy, Titilayo Ilori, Nwamaka D Eneanya, Emily C Cleveland Manchanda, and Sushrut S Waikar.
• Section of Nephrology, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine and Boston Medical Center, Evans Biomedical Research Center, 5th Floor, 650 Albany Street, Boston, MA, 02118, USA. ischmidt@bu.edu.
• J Gen Intern Med. 2023 Jul 1; 38 (9): 204520512045-2051.

BackgroundClinical algorithms that incorporate race as a modifying factor to guide clinical decision-making have recently been criticized for propagating racial bias in medicine. Equations used to calculate lung or kidney function are examples of clinical algorithms that have different diagnostic parameters depending on an individual's race. While these clinical measures have multiple implications for clinical care, patients' awareness of and their perspectives on the application of such algorithms are unknown.ObjectiveTo examine patients' perspectives on race and the use of race-based algorithms in clinical decision-making.DesignQualitative study using semi-structured interviews.ParticipantsTwenty-three adult patients recruited at a safety-net hospital in Boston, MA.ApproachInterviews were analyzed using thematic content analysis and modified grounded theory.Key ResultsAmong the 23 study participants, 11 were women and 15 self-identified as Black or African American. Three categories of themes emerged: The first theme described definitions and the individual meanings participants ascribed to the term race. The second theme described perspectives on the role and consideration of race in clinical decision-making. Most study participants were unaware that race has been used as a modifying factor in clinical equations and rejected the incorporation of race in these equations. The third theme related to exposure to and experience of racism in healthcare settings. Experiences described by non-White participants ranged from microaggressions to overt acts of racism, including perceived racist encounters with healthcare providers. In addition, patients alluded to a deep mistrust in the healthcare system as a major barrier to equitable care.ConclusionsOur findings suggest that most patients are unaware of how race has been used to make risk assessments and guide clinical care. Further research on patients' perspectives is needed to inform the development of anti-racist policies and regulatory agendas as we move forward to combat systemic racism in medicine.© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Society of General Internal Medicine.

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