Document Type

Article

Publication Date

12-6-2021

Identifier

DOI: 10.7759/cureus.20211; PMCID: PMC8729318

Abstract

Type two diabetes mellitus is a chronic medical condition encountered by physicians providing medical care to adult and pediatric patients. This autobiographical case report discusses type two diabetes from the perspective of positive and negative interactions with the healthcare system in managing diabetes mellitus, especially for a physician of color and underrepresented in medicine. Bias and assumptions occur for some people diagnosed with diabetes mellitus or presumed to have the disease based on age, body habitus, comorbidities, lived environment, race, and ethnicity. I specifically address the social implications of bias experienced by persons of color strictly based on race and ethnicity. Intensified awareness about systemic and institutional racism in healthcare warrants eliminating the inequities and disparities in the medical management and treatment of diabetes mellitus.

Journal Title

Cureus

Volume

13

Issue

12

First Page

20211

Last Page

20211

Keywords

autobiographical case report; diabetes mellitus; diversity and equity in medicine; diversity and inclusion; healthcare disparities; implicit bias; minority health; minority population; racial and social impact; underrepresented in medicine

Comments

This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License CC-BY 4.0., which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Publisher's Link: https://www.cureus.com/articles/78326-racial-and-social-impacts-of-diabetes-mellitus-an-autobiographical-case-report

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