The Clinical Examination and Socially At-Risk Populations: The Examination Matters for Health Disparities

Abstract

Data from the United States show that persons from low socioeconomic backgrounds, those who are socially isolated, belong to racial or ethnic minority groups, or identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender experience health disparities at a higher rate. Clinicians must transition from a biomedical to a biopsychosocial framework within the clinical examination to better address social determinants of health that contribute to health disparities. We review the characteristics of successful patient-clinician interactions. We describe strategies for relationship-centered care within routine encounters. Our goal is to train clinicians to mitigate differences and reduce disparities in health care delivery.

Keywords: Cultural competency; Health care disparities; Patient-centered care; Shared decision making; Social determinants of health.