At the writing of this report, data on race and ethnicity of Delaware Healthcare Providers (including physicians and dentists), was not readily available. However, in a study published by Mitchell et al1 we obtain a glimpse at this information juxtaposed against that of the total population of Delaware when looking at primary care physicians (see tables 1 & 2).
Table 1. Race and Ethnicity of Delaware Primary Care Physicians.
| Percentage of Primary Care Physicians in Delaware | Total Population of Delaware by Percentage | |
|---|---|---|
| Non-Hispanic Black | 6.6% | 23% |
| Hispanic/Latin | 4.4% | 9.5% |
| Asian | 22.6% | 5.9% |
| White | 66.7% | 61.9% |
Table 2. Gender of Delaware Dentists and Physicians, Compared to Demographics1,2.
| License Type | Gender | Record Count | Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dentist (N=540) | No Data | 3 | 0.55 |
| Male | 340 | 62.96 | |
| Female | 197 | 36.48 | |
| Physician (DO) (N=933) | No Data | 21 | 2.25 |
| Male | 543 | 58.2 | |
| Female | 369 | 39.55 | |
| Physician (MD) (N=5,308) | No Data | 87 | 1.64 |
| Male | 3,265 | 61.51 | |
| Female | 1,956 | 36.85 | |
| Total | 6,781 | ||
| Delaware Population (N=998,619) | Male | 483,332 | 48.4 |
| Female | 515,287 | 51.6 |
While generalization from this focused examination is difficult, it does suggest a larger trend where Non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic/Latin physicians are underrepresented relative to population percentages. On the other hand, White and Asian primary care physicians are both represented at higher rates than in population percentages.
The authors go on to state
“[t]hese disparities are consistent within the medical school applicant pool, with far less URM (underrepresented minority) students applying to and matriculating into medical school even after Liaison Committee of Medical Education diversity accreditation guidelines were established in 2009. As the United States becomes more diverse, action must be taken now to better address health disparities by ensuring that the future physician workforce is more diverse and better reflects the makeup of the communities that they serve … [d]iversity in our healthcare workforce is an effective strategy to increase patient satisfaction, decease health workforce shortages, improve the cultural competence of health systems, and ultimately decrease health disparities.”1
References
- 1.Mitchell, K., Iheanacho, F., Washington, J., & Lee, M. (2020, Aug). Addressing health disparities in Delaware by diversifying the next generation of Delaware’s physicians. Dela J Public Health, 6(3), 26-38. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8389095/ [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed]
- 2.Delaware Population. 2022. (n.d.) World Population Review. Retrieved from https://worldpopulationreview.com/states/delaware-population