Document Type

Manuscript

Submission Date

2021

Abstract

An issue often explored in today’s social climate is racial inequalities in our healthcare system and the strong negative outcomes it has on minority patient populations. This is a result of a combination of social factors not limited to, healthcare resources available to these patients, implicit bias by providers, discrimination of patient population, and a system of healthcare perpetuating continued injustices. Research has shown the operating room is no exception, but recent advances in perioperative medicine may be a key to eliminating barriers to equitable healthcare for patients of color. The purpose of this narrative review is to bring awareness to the utility of using perioperative clinics to bring equitable health care to patients of color who are historically at an increased risk of post-operative complications. Innovation of these multidisciplinary clinics is not only a huge stepping-stone in the field of anesthesia, but also an avenue to narrow the gap in health disparities amongst patients of color. Perioperative clinics utilize objective data to assess a patient’s readiness for surgery and minimize physician bias while boosting access to healthcare for disadvantaged patient populations.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

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