The use of race to explain healthcare differences persists in modern medicine, even though there is no biological basis for race. In 2001, The Human Genome Project confirmed that the long-standing belief in the biological differences of races was false and proved that race is a social construct. Nonetheless, we continue to use race in clinical guidelines and algorithms in medicine, creating significant healthcare disparities. Only recently has the medical community begun to acknowledge the erroneous use of race-based medicine, and several organizations have recommended removing race from calculators and algorithms. However, race as a biological trait persists in some clinical calculators affecting the diagnosis and treatment of marginalized communities, especially Black people.

Learning Objectives

At the conclusion of this activity, participants should be able to:

• Differentiate between race, ethnicity, and genetic ancestry
• Define and describe race-based medicine
• Assess the validity of race-based algorithms in medicine
• Examine how the use of race-based medicine perpetuates healthcare disparities