Implications of institutional racism in the therapeutic itinerary of people with chronic renal failure

• Published in: Investigación y Educación en Enfermería 2020-07, Vol.38 (2)
• Main Authors: Santos Ferreira, Ricardo Bruno, De Camargo, Climene Laura, Da Silva Barbosa, Maria Inês, Silva Servo, Maria Lúcia, Carneiro Oliveira, Marcia Maria, Alves Leite Leal, Juliana
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: accesibilidad a los servicios de salud; acesso aos serviços de saúde; acismo; African Americans; chronic; ethnic inequality; Health services; health services accessibility; inequidad étnica; iniquidade étnica; insuficiencia renal crónica; insuficiência renal crónica; Medical diagnosis; Original; Racism; racismo; renal insufficiency; White people
• ISSN: 0120-5307; 2216-0280; 2216-0280
• DOI: 10.17533/udea.iee.v38n2e09

Objective. To understand the implications of institutionalracism in the therapeutic itinerary of patients withchronic renal failure (CRF) in the search for diagnosis andtreatment of the disease. Methods. Descriptive, qualitativestudy developed with 23 people with CRF in a regionalreference hospital for hemodialysis treatment in NortheastBrazil. Two techniques of data collection were used: semistructured interview and consultation to the NEFRODATAelectronic medical record. For systematization andanalysis, the technique of content analysis was used. Results. Black and white people with CRF showedsignificant divergences and differences in their therapeuticitineraries: while white people had access to diagnosisduring outpatient care in other medical specialties, blackpeople were only diagnosed during hospitalization. Inaddition, white people had more access to private health plans when compared to black people, which doubles the possibility of access tohealth services. Moreover, even when the characteristics in the itinerary of blackand white people were convergent, access to diagnosis and treatment proved tobe more difficult for black people. Conclusion. The study showed the presence ofinstitutional racism in the therapeutic itinerary of people with kidney disease inwhich black people have greater difficulty in accessing health services. In this sense,there is a need to create strategies to face institutional racism and to consolidate theNational Policy for Comprehensive Health Care of the Black Population.