PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Olihe N. Okoro
AU  - Vibhuti Arya
AU  - Caroline A. Gaither
AU  - Adati Tarfa
TI  - Examining the Inclusion of Race and Ethnicity in Patient Cases
AID  - 10.5688/ajpe8583
DP  - 2021 Oct 01
TA  - American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education
PG  - 8583
VI  - 85
IP  - 9
4099  - http://www.ajpe.org/content/85/9/8583.short
4100  - http://www.ajpe.org/content/85/9/8583.full
SO  - Am J Pharm Educ2021 Oct 01; 85
AB  - Health disparities continue to exist in the United States, with the most significant differences in care occurring between racial groups. Racial health disparities are largely a result of the strong association between race and structural inequities, (differentials in the distribution of power, resources, opportunities). The use of case-based learning is common practice in pharmacy education, and the race of the patient who is the subject of the case is often included out of convention. In some cases, race is included to inform treatment based on guidelines developed from epidemiological and clinical studies that link race to disease by conferring biological significance to race categories. This continuing use of race and ethnicity to guide treatment contributes to racial health disparities and may further perpetuate existing provider implicit bias. This paper discusses the pedagogical approach of using patient cases and the convention, propriety, and implications of including race in patient cases, and guides pharmacy educators in how to use information on race.