Just Medicine: A Cure for Racial Inequality in American Health Care

The Introduction of Just Medicine by Dayna Bowen Matthew presents the content of the book and its central focus: the persistent racial and ethnic inequality in the US healthcare system. Matthew outlines the book’s central premise, asserting that BIPOC patients consistently receive inferior care, including fewer medical procedures and treatments, compared to their white counterparts. Over time, this situation has resulted in significant health inequities, with BIPOC populations experiencing higher rates of illness and death. Matthew notes that, while socioeconomic factors like poverty and education contribute to these disparities, implicit racial biases—unconscious prejudices held by the majority of white Americans including healthcare providers—play a substantial role in creating these health disparities. Racial bias affects decision-making in the healthcare system and perpetuates inequality.

The Introduction also sets the stage for the Matthew’s core argument: health disparities rooted in unconscious bias are structural issues that require systemic solutions. Matthew proposes legal and policy reforms to address these biases, noting that current antidiscrimination laws are insufficient because they focus only on explicit racism. By advocating for a more comprehensive legal approach, Matthew aims to realign healthcare practices with the US’s declared values of justice and equality.

For the rest of the Introduction, Matthew offers a summary of the book’s chapters.