Hidden Barriers

News and Public Affairs Series / 1 Season

Implicit bias, prejudice and discrimination weave an invisible set of obstacles that pervade our institutions, from the classroom to the doctor’s office. This impacts the daily lives of hundreds of thousands of Washington residents.

Watch Latest: S1 E8

7m 59s

Racism, a public health crisis

S1 E8 / 7m 59s

After the resurgence of Black Lives Matter protests in 2020, many declared racism a public health crisis. So what exactly does that mean? Scientists now say that, in addition to socioeconomic factors, the constant stress of racism slowly takes a toll on a cellular level — and that can explain some of the pandemic-related health care disparities in our community.

Clinical Trials, Uninformed Consent and a Legacy of Distrust

S1 E7 / 8m 10s

Medical research in the U.S. has a dark history, particularly when it comes to the Black community. This has led to many in communities of color to distrust the institution of medicine. Crosscut investigates what that means for research and treatment, and why representation matters when it comes to clinical studies.

Opening the Doors to Medical School

S1 E6 / 8m 14s

Diversity at U.S. medical schools has barely inched forward in the past 40 years, and underrepresented students still face countless barriers to getting a medical degree. Crosscut investigates the roadblocks to access, progress and what Washington schools are trying to do about it.

Medicine's Poor Reflection

S1 E5 / 7m 25s

In Washington state, as with much of the country, physician demographics don't reflect the communities they serve, which leads to worse outcomes for patients. Unfortunately, at the rate things are progressing, experts say we may never have a physician pool truly representative of the general population.

Health Care's invisible minority

S1 E4 / 6m 53s

Asian Americans are perceived as the "model minority:" wealthier, better educated and healthier than other minority groups. But this preconception hides many health disparities, in some cases worse than those of any other racial group.

Lost in Translation

S1 E3 / 6m 43s

Washington mandates language access services for patients who speak limited English, but lack of oversight means many fall through the cracks. A growing immigrant population means that these services are more crucial than ever.

Bias At The Doctor's Office

S1 E2 / 8m 5s

Racial bias manifests in myriad ways in the healthcare system and often leads to patients getting less or lower quality care. One example in particular concerns the reproductive health of Black women, and it has had deadly consequences.

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