Study finds race, ethnicity are seldom mentioned in pediatric clinical guidelines

Race and ethnicity were unexplored in most American pediatric clinical practice guidelines published in the last 5 years, according to the results of a systematic review (Source: “Race unexplored in most pediatric clinical care guidelines, review finds,” Helio, June 13).

According to the study, which was published in JAMA Pediatrics, 70% of the guidelines did not mention race or ethnicity at all. The researchers also found that when race or ethnicity was mentioned, 57% of the time it was used in a way that could exacerbate or have a negative impact on inequities and only 15.1% of clinical practice guidelines include language specifically intended to reduce disparities in medicine.

“I think that shows a missed opportunity for us as medical organizations to be proactive in talking about health care inequities and systemic racism in our field,” said Courtney A. Gilliam, MD, a member of the division of hospital medicine in the department of pediatrics at Seattle Children’s Hospital and a co-author of the review. “We have a long way to go in interrogating clinical practice guidelines.”