Doctors’ Perceptions of Multiracial Adolescents

Perceptions of race influence the way health care is delivered to minority populations, particularly multiracial people. Currently only 11% American physicians are Black or Latinx, making chances slim that and Latinx patients will be treated by a co-ethnic. White supremacy well documented in medical literature—along with efforts combat it—yet education still largely based on studies about white This privileging whiteness increasingly evident as COVID-19 pandemic has shone renewed spotlight disparities U.S. The current study considers how doctors perceive use it make healthcare decisions. Among (N = 509) this sample, few said they considered patient’s race. Of those who did, many determined some method other than asking patient directly. most common methods were observing skin tone cultural cues. Doctors perceived nearly half targets monoracial. Targets followed norm hypodescent significantly more likely identified congruently doctors. at extremes color spectrum (black white) easier identify, while beige tones middle challenging. Patient ancestry was relevant criterion explaining congruence racial identification between doctors, characteristics irrelevant.