Racial Profiling in the Medical Field

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Using race as a means of predicting disease and treatment outcomes in the medical field is like using an SAT score as a prediction of how well someone will do in college. Each person is unique, like different levels of intelligence. That is why they use SAT scores to best match students with a college they will be successful in and use race as a tool to find the right medical treatment for a patient. Race is used as rough prediction on the risks and outcomes of medical treatment. This is where racial profiling is a helpful tool. Throughout history the term “racial profiling” has held negative, racial connotations which impresses upon the public that all racial profiling is negative. Yet, profiling can be used properly and effectively in the medical field and have positive benefits. Race is a broad window into someone’s ancestry, which are good predictors to someone’s health. Doctors are able to use a person’s racial identity to make timely and effective choices for their medical treatment. Add Race is also one of the most common categories used as the basis of comparison between groups in research studies. In no way is the use of racial profiling in the medical field used for demeaning purposes, but to give the patient the best treatment possible. Thesis
Race can be used as a way to link a person to their ancestry, which can lead doctors to critical information that can give their patient the best treatment they can. With all of the advances in medicine there is still no way to determine a patient’s specific genetics and be able to treat each person with respect to their unique genes. Doctors narrow down possible risk factors and medication interactions by categorizing patients, by gender, age, and race. Race is a general way f...

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... to be practical doctors would need be able to identify all of the genes in each of their patients bodies and analyze them in a timely fashion, in order to give them timely and proper medical advice. Right now this is unrealistic. Therefore they use racial profiling, not in order to discriminate, but in order to give the best and most efficient medical advice possible.
In conclusion research has shown positive outcomes from the use of racial profiling in the medical field. The ways in which race positively influences medical practices, including in correct type of medication and dosing cannot be underplayed. Race has an important place in the medical field, which is even acknowledged by the US government. With technological advances, perhaps one day the use of race can be diminishes, but in present time it is an important contributing factor to the medical field.

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