Understanding racism in Swedish healthcare

Abstract

Abstract Background Despite the removal of the term ’race’ from statutory documents in Sweden, after the Second World War, racism continues to exist in various institutions including healthcare. Racism can persist in the absence of a biological notion of ’race’ but becomes harder to explain when there is no official recognition. There is evidence of discrimination by patients and healthcare professionals, although fragmented and under-researched. As healthcare should be built on equity and solidarity, accounts of racism constitute a serious breach. Our research focuses on conceptualising racism in healthcare in Sweden to develop means of improving equity in care for populations characterised by migration-driven diversity. Methods Data from 28 qualitative interviews with both patients and healthcare professionals in Sweden was collected. Results Preliminary results indicate that patients from minority ethnic groups report that healthcare providers deem their symptoms as insignificant, due to their ethnicity. Consequently, they experience a loss of integrity and trust in healthcare, often leading them to avoid seeking healthcare. Healthcare professionals conceptualise racism in varied ways, ranging from denying racism, normalising and individualising racism to viewing racism as a structural problem. Patients did not report their experiences of racism, as racism was often subtle. Likewise, healthcare professionals mostly chose not to report their experiences for fear of being constructed as difficult colleagues. Conclusions The lack of space for discussing racism within healthcare constitutes a problem for healthcare professionals and patients and contributes to rendering experiences of racism invisible. This may be detrimental for achieving responsive healthcare and creates an unhealthy working environment for some healthcare professionals. Key messages Promoting a constructive dialogue on racism in healthcare. Aiding in developing anti-racist practices in healthcare.