Trust Factor

Trust Factor

There is an inequality and lack of trust in our health care system, specifically with African Americans than Europeans cultures. A survey was conducted at the University of Pennsylvania by researchers which were conducted comparing blacks and whites from across the United States. The findings were nearly 45% of blacks had low level of trust. The reasons for this finding were that more blacks were uninsured and by this they went to emergency rooms and clinics, rather than going to official office visit to seek care. This led to a condition where building a relationship with the doctors and nurses were unattainable, this is one major element in our black communities.

I can testify to this and have experienced this with my own eyes. One instance in my own life, where as my husband’s father would not get the proper care and treatment for colon cancer. His wife, Dorothy passed away from this terrible disease and he saw how the Clinic treated her and how they could not save her nor give her any kind of hope of recovery from this terrible incurable disease and it devastated his world. Charles was grieved and sadden about the whole ordeal and seen the terrible pain his wife was in and he felt hopeless with disparity. This led him to make the decision of refusal and distrust in the health care system for himself. We would go see Charles, my father-in-law on a daily basis, we would ask him how he was doing and he would answer, I’m fine, how are you.

We did this for seven months, he would never complain of his pain or aches, nor did he want to go the hospital for his medical checkups. He was a very quiet man. We didn’t even know he was dying of colon cancer. When we saw him losing weight rapidly, we knew something was wrong and he started defecating on himself. We immediately called 911 and then all turmoil broke loose. It wasn’t two weeks later, he passed away from colon cancer and him distrusting the health care system of taking care of...