Epistemic Injustice within Healthcare: Minorities Scenic Mosley, Dr. Tschaepe, Ph.D. Department of Political Science, Prairie View A&M University, Prairie View, Texas 77446
Abstract My initial findings in the Spring of 2019 portrayed the need for more adequate resources to assist patients with linguistic or educational barriers in understanding their diagnosis and/or physical examinations. The epistemic insufficiencies raised as related to law and healthcare are directly connected to the continued research necessary to configure sufficient solutions. Approximately 58 percent of Waller County residents belong to a racial minoritized group. This research argues that the two types of epistemic injustice accounted by Miranda Fricker, hermeneutical and testimonial, adversely affect Waller County’s minoritized persons in healthcare institutions. Epistemic entitlement prevails within these institutions due to sophisticated preparation and comprehension of matters concerning health required by physicians, but not the average minoritized person.
Hypothesis I subsequently suggest that remedies for deconstructing such epistemic injustices include an approach that focuses specifically on the large range of factors affecting minoritized persons perspectives and lived experiences as a whole, rather than in objectified parts.
Acknowledgements R&I’s Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR), Prairie View A&M University
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POSTERS AND REPORTS
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Figure 1 represents the percentage of law offices that supply their clients with resources to help them understand their medical-legal rights. Figure 2 represents the percentage of law offices that provide their clients with translation services. Figure 3 represents types of law that lawyers specialize in. Figure 4 represents the percentage of Health Clinics that provide information to their patients regarding their medical-legal rights. Figure 5 represents the percentage of Health Clinics that would like additional resources to help their patients understand their diagnoses/physical exams.
Methods The study consists of the 5 cities within Waller County; Brookshire, Hempstead, Prairie View, Pattison, and a small Reference section of Katy. Thorough interviews with the local healthcare facilities and law office representatives were conducted, and research on Miranda Fricker’s Epistemic Injustice were included and expounded on.
Objective To understand whether or not the citizens of Waller County have been provided the epistemic resources to make decisions for themselves regarding their health. To develop a comprehensive delivery of medical information to healthcare patients in Waller county and to ensure that patients are given informed consent and proper legal representation. Sub-objectives include: • Provide a thorough review of potential remedies to insufficient medical delivery. • Determine if Informed Consent has been supplied and if Medical Information Therapy is necessary in special cases, such as to those patients who possess educational or linguistic barriers. • Determine if adequate legal representation within healthcare facilities exists. • Assess what the various legal resources are within Waller county pertaining to medically related lawsuits.
Results
Hermeneutical Injustice Characterized by an individual or patient, not having the resources to explain or understand in thorough detail the experience that they are presently facing. Those who have attained a more powerful position through education, racial or ethnic identity, and socioeconomic status have also established superior understandings of their experiences.
Hence, when given a platform (such as that provided when doctor interviews a patient), these persons are equipped with knowledge to articulate their experience and receive proper care. Alternatively, those lacking in articulation are rendered voiceless.
Testimonial Injustice Characterized by an individual, or patient, being silenced by another person who typically has the ability to (regardless as to whether or not they use this ability) aid in the development of the testimony giver’s agenda or desired outcome. In this case, a healthcare professional would presumably be able to offer the patient the best treatment or care but is unwilling to listen to the patient’s testimony long enough to establish a consensual patient-doctor relationship where each party has an equal comprehension of the treatment plan to be followed.
Acknowledgements R&I’s Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) and Political Science Department,, Prairie View A&M University
Future Research The next step is to conduct a study on how to create programs that encourage minoritized persons to become more educated within healthcare matters to the point in which they would be labeled an “insider-outsider” is another solution to bridging the epistemic gaps.
References Data USA. 2019. “Waller County, TX.” Data USA. Accessed February 3, 2019. https://datausa.io/profile/geo/waller-county-tx/ Towncharts. 2019. “Waller County, Texas Education Data.” TownCharts. Accessed February 3, 2019. http://www.towncharts.com/Texas/Education/WallerCounty-TX-Education-data.html National Center for Medical Legal Partnership. “About Medical-Legal Partnership.” Milken Institute School of Public Health. Accessed February 3, 2019. https://medical-legalpartnership.org/faq/ Mitchell, D J. “Toward a definition of Information Therapy” Proceedings. Symposium on Computer Applications in Medical Care (1994): 71-5.
