Race and Health

"Race and Health" Main

Latest Morning Briefing Stories

In Freddie Gray’s Neighborhood, The Best Medical Care Is Close But Elusive

KFF Health News Original

Last year’s Baltimore unrest highlighted deep distrust between police and poor African-Americans. Dozens of interviews and little-seen data show a similar gap between that community and the city’s renowned health system.

A Racial Gap In Attitudes Toward Hospice Care

KFF Health News Original

Hospice use has been growing fast in the United States as more people choose to avoid futile, often painful medical treatments in favor of palliative care and dying at home surrounded by loved ones. But some African-Americans have long resisted the concept, and their suspicions remain deep-seated.

A Matter Of Faith And Trust: Why African-Americans Don’t Use Hospice

KFF Health News Original

Even as end-of-life planning gains favor with more Americans, African-Americans, research shows, remain very skeptical of options like hospice and advance directives. The result can mean more aggressive, painful care at the end of life that prolongs suffering.