The Regional Coalition to Eliminate Race-Based Medicine

topic area

location

Philadelphia

goal

The goals of the Regional Coalition to Eliminate Race-Based Medicine (Regional Coalition) are to 1) understand the ways in which 15 race-based clinical decision tools are currently used in making clinical decisions by providers in the region, and 2) elevate best practices in transitioning away from race “adjustments” in clinical decision support tools that may adversely impact patients’ outcomes.

description

Clinical guidelines and clinical decision tools help doctors determine the best way to care for their patients. Race is, in some cases, still used as one of the variables in those tools even though it is not an objective biological trait. Using race as a variable can adversely influence the care a patient receives by normalizing lower functioning or over- or underestimating risk for some groups. This can impact outcomes for minoritized patients.

The Coalition, convened by Independence Blue Cross, has committed to focus on 15 clinical decision support tools that adjust results based on a person’s race, potentially causing delays and inequities in care. The group will work together to phase out the use of race as a variable in these tools. They will also collaborate on alternative best practices that do not reinforce a biological understanding of race and evaluation of the impact of practice changes.

The Coalition extends the work of Accelerate Health Equity, which many of the participants, including Independence Blue Cross, are members.

status

In progress

partners

Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Doylestown Health, Grand View Health, Independence Blue Cross, Jefferson Health, Main Line Health, Nemours Children’s Health, Penn Medicine, Redeemer Health, Temple Health, Trinity Health Mid-Atlantic, and Virtua Health*

*Not all participating partners are AHE-affiliated institutions.