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01/02/2008: "Ethnic pain management study shows false bias"

In summary, these researchers looked at 375,000 emergency department visits over a period of 13 years. Of those visits, opioid prescribing was more likely for pain-related visits made by whites (31%) than by blacks (23%), Hispanics (24%), or Asians/others (28%). White patients in their study tended to be older, but they didn’t release that demographic data. Overall, though, the rate at which patients received some form of analgesic (narcotic and non-narcotic combined) was almost identical between the study groups.

Using this data, the researchers come to a conclusion that “The presence of differential opioid prescribing by race/ethnicity throughout the study period suggests that disparities in pain management persist in the emergency department.”

Wait a minute. Your study didn’t show anything about pain management. Your study showed a trend in lesser prescription of narcotics in non-whites. That’s it. Where does “pain management” come into play in all of this? Reminds me of the drug seeker “pain control = narcotic” mindset.

[ It's trendy and attention-getting to claim you've found bias, but usually, none exists. Multiculturalism still doesn't work. ]

http://whitecoatrants.wordpress.com/2008/01/02/whites-get-better-pain-control-in-the-ed/