Inequities Continue in Pediatric Patient-Family Experiences
Research By: Margaret N. Jones, MD, MS
Post Date: August 30, 2024 | Publish Date: Aug. 30, 2024
General and Community Pediatrics | Top Scientific Achievement
A study from Cincinnati Children’s highlights racial, ethnic, and language-based inequities in how families experience outpatient pediatric care. This research underscores how racism and other forms of oppression shape patient-family experiences and outcomes.
Led by Margaret Jones, MD, MS, from the Division of General and Community Pediatrics, the research analyzed more than 89,000 family surveys collected between June 2020 and May 2022. The team found that Asian, Black, and Hispanic families—and those whose primary language was Spanish—were significantly less likely to report “top-box” scores for respect, communication, and safety compared to White, non-Hispanic, and English-speaking families.
Patient-provider racial congruence—when a provider and patient shared the same racial identity—was associated with higher ratings for respect and listening.
“Our findings show that patient experience surveys can help us see how racism and oppression manifest in everyday care interactions,” Jones says. “When families don’t feel respected or safe, it signals system-level inequities we must address.”
The study found these inequities persisted even after adjusting for socioeconomic factors, visit type, and location. These results point to the need for deeper, equity-focused change. The authors recommend incorporating qualitative research and family partnerships to guide antiracist improvement efforts and to redesign patient experience measures that better reflect diverse cultural expectations.
Next, the team will focus on expanding provider diversity, improving language access, and developing interventions co-designed with families to make every care experience safe, respectful, and inclusive.
About the study
Cincinnati Children’s co-authors included Melinda MacDougall, MS; Shelley Ehrlich, MD, ScD, MPH; Ndidi Unaka, MD, MEd; Samuel Hanke, MD, MS, MB; Jareen Meinzen-Derr, PhD; Mary Burkhardt, MD, MHA; Alexandra Corley, MD, MPH; Jamilah Hackworth, EdD; Kristen Copeland, MD; Jessica Kahn, MD, MPH; and Andrew Beck, MD, MPH. Other collaborators included investigators from Stanford University School of Medicine and the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine.
This work was supported by the Bureau of Health Professions, Health Resources and Services Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, under National Research Service Award grant T32HP10027, and by a 2022 Academic Pediatric Association Young Investigator Award.
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| Original title: | Racial, Ethnic, and Language Inequities in Ambulatory Pediatrics Patient Family Experience |
| Published in: | Academic Pediatrics |
| Publish date: | Aug. 30, 2024 |
Research By
My research focuses on antiracism and health equity, especially concerning the experiences and perspectives of Black families.
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The Research Horizons blog features news and insights about the latest discoveries and innovations developed by the scientists of Cincinnati Children's. This blog does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Email researchnews@cchmc.org with questions or ideas.
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