Fifty-seven percent of race-related patient safety incidents are due to patients making inappropriate racial comments or engaging in racist behavior toward their provider, according to an analysis by ECRI.
ECRI, a nonprofit patient safety organization, categorized more than 500 patient safety incidents related to race over a full year, according to a news release shared with Becker's on Oct. 18. The group found that patients and healthcare providers are frequently on the receiving end of inappropriate racial comments.
Experiencing repeated racial incidents can contribute to providers leaving healthcare, which can contribute to growing staff shortage problems.
Although 57 percent of reports were comments directed at providers, 42 percent were reports of inappropriate comments or behavior initiated by staff, the release said.
"As health systems implement diversity, equity and inclusion plans, the needs of providers of color must be taken into account as well as those of patients," Dr. Marcus Schabacker, president and CEO of ECRI, said in the release. "Creating an equitable and safe environment requires recognizing when racist incidents occur and taking action in response."