Editor’s note: The following article is an op-ed, and the views expressed are the author’s own. Read more opinions on theGrio.
If you’re Black and have ever had a vitamin D test, chances are you’ve been diagnosed as Vitamin D deficient. And chances are your diagnosis was wrong.
Understanding why so many of us are misdiagnosed requires a broader understanding of the evolution of our health care system and the diagnostic tools it relies on.
You’ve probably heard about the Tuskegee experiment where the cure for syphilis was withheld from Black men for decades so doctors could study the effects of the untreated disease. You may also know of the controversy surrounding the testing of contraception techniques on Puerto Rican women. These and similar incidents are often cited as catalysts for the distrust Black and Latino communities have for the health care system and our ultimately low enrollment in clinical studies and trials.
However, our exclusion from studies and trials creates a twofold issue. Not only does a patient miss out on the potential outcomes from more advanced treatment options, but our relative exclusion from studies also means we are not adequately represented — or ultimately factored — in the development process for diagnostic tests and treatments; creating opportunities for tests and treatments that are less than optimally effective for Black and brown demographics.
Siemens Healthineers took this issue head-on a few years ago when reviewing its test for preeclampsia. A team reviewed the study data for that test and discovered that while preeclampsia far disproportionately impacts Black mothers, the population for the study used to substantiate the test’s effectiveness was predominantly white. Siemens conducted a new study with a more representative sample and ultimately improved the design and effectiveness of the test for the patients who needed it most.
Which brings me back to your Vitamin D diagnosis….
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