"Each article in this issue is important for its unique contribution to the literature on racial and ethnic differences in pain," state editor Rollin M. Gallagher, MD, MPH and guest editors Carmen R. Green, MD and Raymond C. Tait, PhD in the issue's introduction entitled, The unequal burden of pain: Disparities and differences. "Most interestingly, each article identifies commonalities in response to pain, the adverse impact of pain, and the under-treatment of pain across racial and ethnic groups that can be easily overlooked in our efforts to identify differences."
Topics covered include differences in response to pain, ethical implications of racial disparities, age and gender as contributing factors to inequalities, and ultimately, unequal treatment. The papers range from racial differences in the ability to access pain medications, and differences in the response to pain based upon race and age, to work that focuses on workers compensation claims among Caucasians and African Americans.
Commentary by Louis W. Sullivan, MD, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 1989-93, and Barry A. Eagel, MD discuss the history of health and health care disparities in the United States, emphasizing the disadvantages suffered by African Americans and Hispanics. They specifically focus on infant mortality, AIDS, diabetes and violence found more often among racial and ethnic minority groups, and particularly how factors such as health behavior, patient and physician attitudes, and inadequate access to resources contribute to gaps in health status. This com
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Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
31-Jan-2005