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SOCIAL AND ETHICAL ISSUES IN 2020

Stony the road we trod: towards racial justice in kidney care

Nature Reviews Nephrology volume 17, pages 79–80 (2021)Cite this article

Subjects

The COVID-19 pandemic and the Movement for Black Lives have focused attention on racial disparities in kidney health outcomes. In 2020, kidney professionals highlighted threats posed by racism and other negative social drivers of kidney health, and proposed solutions to address these issues through scholarship and advocacy for social justice.

Key advances

  • Racism is a public health crisis that underlies the adverse health outcomes experienced by Black Americans, including in the settings of kidney disease and COVID-19.

  • Kidney professionals must take a stand for social justice by acknowledging the reality of systemic inequities and systemic racism, recognizing that advancing equity in society can move us closer to kidney health equity for all4.

  • The impact of systemic inequities on kidney health must be addressed by kidney professionals in their scholarship and clinical practice; systemic bias and social drivers can negatively impact kidney care, especially within communities that are adversely affected by health disparaties4.

  • Championing workforce diversity and inclusion must be a priority for the kidney community; a diverse and inclusive workforce drives clinical excellence, therapeutic rapport and discovery8.

  • The development of robust community engagement, partnership, and leadership is necessary to build trust within underserved and minority populations that historically have been victimized by acts of injustice in medicine10.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Department of Pediatrics, Nationwide Children’s Hospital and The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH, USA

    O. N. Ray Bignall II

  2. Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Deidra C. Crews

  3. Johns Hopkins Center for Health Equity and Welch Center for Prevention, Epidemiology and Clinical Research, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Deidra C. Crews

Authors
  1. O. N. Ray Bignall II
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  2. Deidra C. Crews
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Correspondence to O. N. Ray Bignall II.

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The authors declare no competing interests.

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Bignall, O.N.R., Crews, D.C. Stony the road we trod: towards racial justice in kidney care. Nat Rev Nephrol 17, 79–80 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41581-020-00389-w

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