“Patient activation” – a novel approach to create equitable interactions between patients and doctors?

“Minoritized groups have long histories of oppression and reasons not to trust the medical system because of broken violations of trust and dignity.” - Jennifer Griggs (University of Michigan, MI, USA). A study conducted at the University of Michigan, by Griggs and her team, is one of the first to pinpoint a strategy that can offset the effects of doctors' racial bias. As part of this technique, patients are coached to be active and express concerns about their medical treatment. Although it is the responsibility of doctors to deliver unbiased and high-quality care to all patients, researchers believe the idea...