Racial bias in health care has been well documented in medical literature, and there is agreement that HCPs need to see their patients in a fuller context. Making health education more “bilateral” – educating the HCP as well as the patient – can help reduce these biases. We propose a bilateral approach to health education because bias in health care will not be alleviated by the medical “establishment” or through legislation, but through an intensive focus on the individuals affected by it – namely the patient and his HCP. This initiative, http://www.blackmalehealthonline.org (BMHO), creates a venue for such a focus. The Internet is a powerful new tool for disseminating health information (both good and bad). BMHO provides single-site access to an ocean of useful and instructive information on health issues pertinent to black males of all ages and socioeconomic strata. It will allow mingling of these groups so that they can gain insight into each other’s situations and into their own. As Internet access increases, BMHO will play a more vital role in health promotion and education. It will administer to the health care concerns of black males through health promotion, patient and provider education, and patient and provider empowerment. We invite public health, medical, and lay communities to join us in launching this interactive website dedicated to black male health. See www.blackmalehealthonline.org
Learning Objectives: Participants will be introduced to the abundance of health information on the internet and how little of it applies to the specific health issues faced by African-American males. At the conclusion of the session, participants will be able to recognize how the internet can mitigate health care bias by creating a forum for bilateral health education - education of the provider about the patient and his community and of the patient about the health and medical issues pertinent to him as an African-American male.
Keywords: Internet, Male Health
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.