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Primary Care Physicians’ Attitudes Regarding Race-Based Therapies

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Abstract

Background

There is little to no information on whether race should be considered in the exam room by those who care for and treat patients. How primary care physicians understand the relationship between genes, race and drugs has the potential to influence both individual care and racial and ethnic health disparities.

Objective

To describe physicians’ use of race-based therapies, with specific attention to the case of BiDil (isosorbide dinitrate/hydralazine), the first drug approved by the FDA for a race-specific indication, and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ace) inhibitors in their black and white patients.

Design

Qualitative study involving 10 focus groups with 90 general internists.

Participants

Black and white general internists recruited from community and academic internal medicine practices participated in the focus groups.Of the participants 64% were less than 45 years of age, and 73% were male.

Approach

The focus groups were transcribed verbatim, and the data were analyzed using template analysis.

Results

There was a range of opinions relating to the practice of race-based therapies. Physicians who were supportive of race-based therapies cited several potential benefits including motivating patients to comply with medical therapy and promoting changes in health behaviors by creating the perception that the medication and therapies were tailored specifically for them. Physicians acknowledged that in clinical practice some medications vary in their effectiveness across different racial groups, with some physicians citing the example of ace inhibitors. However, physicians voiced concern that black patients who could benefit from ace inhibitors may not be receiving them. They were also wary that the category of race reflected meaningful differences on a genetic level. In the case of BiDil, physicians were vocal in their concern that commercial interests were the primary impetus behind its creation.

Conclusions

Primary care physicians’ opinions regarding race-based therapy reveal a nuanced understanding of race-based therapies and a wariness of their use by physicians.

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported in part by the Intramural Research Program of the National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health. Writing and data analysis support was provided in part by Health Service Research and Development (HSR&D) MD Postdoctoral Fellowship Research TPM 61-028. This paper was presented at the SGIM National Meeting, Washington, DC, 2007. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not represent any position or policy of the National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health or Department of Health and Human Services.

Conflict of Interest

None disclosed.

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Correspondence to Danielle Frank MD, MPH.

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Sources of Funding

This research was supported in part by the Intramural Research Program of the National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health. Writing and data analysis support was provided in part by Health Service Research and Development (HSR&D) MD Postdoctoral Fellowship Research TPM 61-028.

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Frank, D., Gallagher, T.H., Sellers, S.L. et al. Primary Care Physicians’ Attitudes Regarding Race-Based Therapies. J GEN INTERN MED 25, 384–389 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-009-1190-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-009-1190-7

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