Experiences with diagnostic delay among underserved racial and ethnic patients: a systematic review of the qualitative literature. November 20, 2024

https://psnet.ahrq.gov/issue/experiences-diagnostic-delay-among-underserved-racial-and-ethnic-patients-systematic-review Experiences with diagnostic delay among underserved racial and ethnic patients: a systematic review of the qualitative literature. Faugno E, Galbraith AA, Walsh KE, et al. BMJ Qual Saf. 2024;Epub Nov 4. Historically, underserved racial and ethnic populations have been disproportionately affected by delayed diagnosis. In this review of quantitative studies conducted in the US, patients and caregivers in underserved communities reported several factors contributing to delayed diagnosis. Socioeconomic and sociocultural factors included healthcare avoidance, stigma, and distrust in the healthcare system. Health system factors included poor organizational health literacy and provider-related factors such as cognitive biases. There was a lack of research on diagnosis of chronic conditions, and no studies focused on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.