Doctor Shortage for Booming Latino Population in CA, US

*The problem, according to the study, is “the dismantling of affirmative action programs in California, and a decrease in anti-poverty programs over the past few decades.”VL

By Suzanne Potter, California News Service

Over the past 30 years, the Latino population in the United States has risen by 243 percent. But during that same period, according to a UCLA study of census data, the number of Latino doctors has decreased 22 percent.

The study found that the shortage is acute in California, with only 50 Latino doctors for every 100,000 Latino patients.

Study co-author Dr. Gloria Sanchez said communication is key to a strong doctor-patient relationship. She noted that it leads to better outcomes, especially with chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes and heart disease.

“If a doctor and a patient can’t understand each other,” she said, “I think that there can be very negative patient outcomes.”

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