2007年VOA标准英语-Racial Differences in US Health Care Continue

By Carol Pearson
Washington, D.C.
13 June 2007
 

Several recent studies show that the government assisted medical care that African Americans receive is not as good as the same type of care that white Americans receive. While researchers try to account for that gap, they keep discovering new inequities.  VOA's Carol Pearson has the latest.

After having a heart attack, many patients need an angioplasty to open their blocked arteries¹. That is a procedure that uses a catheter threaded through the groin into an artery² in the heart.  The doctor uses a balloon to open the blockage³ and restore blood flow to the heart muscle. More than two million angioplasties are performed worldwide each year.

Dr. Ioana Popescu

A new study, led by Dr. Ioana Popescu and published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, found a disparity in the treatment that black and white patients get after suffering a heart attack.

"We were able to document significant and persistent⁴ differences in treatment after heart attack for black and white patients," says Popescu.

The study shows black patients receiving government assisted care were 30 percent less likely than whites to receive the follow up care they needed, and Dr. Popescu says it has nothing to do with location.

"Black patients were less likely to receive these services regardless of what type of hospital they were treated at,” continued Popescu.  “In other words, it is not a matter of where you go in this case, it's a matter of what happens after you get there." Dr. Popescu says nothing in her study explained the difference in care.

Dr. Kim A. Williams

But Dr. Kim A. Williams, a cardiologist at the University of Chicago, says it could be due to bias⁶, either on the part of physicians or on the part of black patients.

"There needs to be cultural assimilations on both sides so that physicians who are taking care of minority patients understand where they're coming from and vice⁵ versa," explains Dr. Williams.

Another study -- this one conducted last year -- also showed a health care divide between the the kind of government assisted care that black Americans get versus⁷ that of white Americans.  This study -- also published in the Journal of the American Medical Association -- collected data from more than 400,000 patients suffering from diabetes⁸, high blood pressure and other serious illnesses.  The results showed that blacks were 14 percent more likely to have these health problems go unmanaged than white patients with the same problems. 

Experts hope these studies will increase awareness⁹ of these differences.   They also hope it will encourage health care programs to work to eliminate these gaps and encourage patients to seek the care they need.

1 arteries   

n.动脉( artery的名词复数 )；干线，要道

参考例句：

• Even grafting new blood vessels in place of the diseased coronary arteries has been tried. 甚至移植新血管代替不健康的冠状动脉的方法都已经试过。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• This is the place where the three main arteries of West London traffic met. 这就是伦敦西部三条主要交通干线的交汇处。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 artery   

n.干线，要道；动脉

参考例句：

• We couldn't feel the changes in the blood pressure within the artery.我们无法感觉到动脉血管内血压的变化。
• The aorta is the largest artery in the body.主动脉是人体中的最大动脉。

3 blockage   

n.障碍物；封锁

参考例句：

• The logical treatment is to remove this blockage.合理的治疗方法就是清除堵塞物。
• If the blockage worked,they could retreat with dignity.如果封锁发生作用，他们可以体面地撤退。

4 persistent   

adj.坚持不懈的，执意的；持续的

参考例句：

• Albert had a persistent headache that lasted for three days.艾伯特连续头痛了三天。
• She felt embarrassed by his persistent attentions.他不时地向她大献殷勤，使她很难为情。

5 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

6 bias   

n.偏见，偏心，偏袒；vt.使有偏见

参考例句：

• They are accusing the teacher of political bias in his marking.他们在指控那名教师打分数有政治偏见。
• He had a bias toward the plan.他对这项计划有偏见。

7 versus   

prep.以…为对手，对；与…相比之下

参考例句：

• The big match tonight is England versus Spain.今晚的大赛是英格兰对西班牙。
• The most exciting game was Harvard versus Yale.最富紧张刺激的球赛是哈佛队对耶鲁队。

8 diabetes   

n.糖尿病

参考例句：

• In case of diabetes, physicians advise against the use of sugar.对于糖尿病患者，医生告诫他们不要吃糖。
• Diabetes is caused by a fault in the insulin production of the body.糖尿病是由体內胰岛素分泌失调引起的。

9 awareness   

n.意识，觉悟，懂事，明智

参考例句：

• There is a general awareness that smoking is harmful.人们普遍认识到吸烟有害健康。
• Environmental awareness has increased over the years.这些年来人们的环境意识增强了。