Physicians' and nurses' experiences of the influence of race and ethnicity on the quality of healthcare provided to minority patients, and on their own professional careers.

This qualitative content analysis examines data from African-American and Hispanic physician and nurse focus groups conducted by the Institute of Medicine (IOM). Participants discussed the influence of race and ethnicity regarding perspectives on healthcare provided to ethnic minority patients, and on the professional careers of ethnic minority physicians and nurses. A majority of responses related to Racism and Prejudice, which affected ethnic minority patients and health-care providers at three levels (health-care system to patient, provider to patient, and provider to provider). Racism and Prejudice interfered with promotions, obtaining hospital privileges, and advancement in careers. Communication and Culture was important among patients who preferred racially concordant care providers. Role Modeling was found to be important as participants entered and matured in their professional careers. Findings provide compelling evidence that racism and prejudice are shared experiences between ethnic minority physicians and nurses throughout their careers. One concerning finding was that perceived prejudice materialized at the onset of medical and nursing education and remained a predominant theme throughout the professionals' careers. Research should be directed towards providing equity in care and on the careers of ethnic minority health-care professionals.