Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2007 Sep;4(9):e271.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pmed.0040271.

Racial categories in medical practice: how useful are they?

Affiliations

Racial categories in medical practice: how useful are they?

Lundy Braun et al. PLoS Med. 2007 Sep.

Abstract

Is it good medical practice for physicians to "eyeball" a patient's race when assessing their medical status or even to ask them to identify their race?

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Comment in

References

    1. Witten M. Humpty Dumpty. House MD. Fox Television. 2005. Aired September 27, 2005. Available: http://www.twiztv.com/scripts/house/season2/house-203.htm. Accessed 17 August 2007.
    1. Garcia R. The misuse of race in medical diagnosis. Chron High Educ. 2003;49:B15. - PubMed
    1. Hacking I. Genetics, biosocial groups and the future of identity. Daedalus. 2006;51:81–95.
    1. Papas G, Queen S, Hadden W, Fisher G. The increasing disparity in mortality between socioeconomic groups in the United States, 1960 and 1986. New Engl J Med. 1993;329:103–109. - PubMed
    1. Haynes MA, Smedley BD. The unequal burden of cancer: An assessment of NIH research and programs for ethnic minorities and the medically underserved. Washington (D. C): National Academy Press; 1999. - PubMed

Publication types