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		Search Text: Home/News and Events/< Back ToAll News/Doctors’ racial and gender biases affect heart failure treatment decisions, study finds

NHLBI IN THE PRESS
                                        
                    Doctors’ racial and gender biases affect heart failure treatment decisions, study finds
                    
                    August 05, 2020
    Clinicians appear to judge women harsher than men, particularly African American women, when deciding treatment recommendations, such as a heart transplant, for patients with advanced heart failure, according to an NHLBI-funded study.

The  findings, published in JAMA Network Open, showed that neither patients’ gender nor race predicted the final treatment recommendations of advanced heart failure therapies. However, the researchers found evidence of biased assessment and use of irrelevant or inappropriate criteria, including appearance, support at home, number of children, and family dynamics.

The doctors participating in the study received photos of the patients with terminal heart failure alongside their clinical histories. Many participants did not want to look at the photos and expressed concern that they knew the pictures would influence their assessment.

Despite reaching similar conclusions regarding treatment options, the researchers and  accompanying editorial in the journal note that these biases could lead to delays in treatment referrals and lower allocation of advanced therapies.
                        Media Coverage
                
    August 05, 2020
      |
            Everyday Health
                Clinicians Show Gender, Racial Biases in Treatment Decisions for Heart Failure Patients
                                                                                                
        July 27, 2020
      |
            AJMC
                Does Intersection of Racial, Gender Biases Affect Heart Failure Treatment Decisions?
                                                                                                
        July 21, 2020
      |
            MedPage Today
                Race, Sex Biases Crop Up in HF Patient Evaluations
                                                                                                
        July 20, 2020
      |
            TCTMD
                Race and Gender Bias May Sway Decisions in Advanced HF Care
                                                                                                
        July 20, 2020
      |
            Healio.com
                Bias in allocation of HF therapies low, but clinicians appear to judge women more harshly
                                                                                                
        July 21, 2020
      |
            JAMA Network Open
                Health Disparities in Advanced Heart Failure Treatment. The Intersection of Race and Sex
                                                                                                
        July 21, 2020
      |
            JAMA Network Open
                Association of Gender and Race With Allocation of Advanced Heart Failure Therapies Back To Top Link
  

        

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