Selam Solomon Cadwell’s husband and she were shocked to learn that Selam was pregnant. The stakes of finding the best OB-GYN were high. Caldwell is a Black female who heard horror stories about maternity providers who refused to listen to her requests or forced her into a cesarean section without a clear medical reason.
The recruiter was a relative stranger to Los Angeles and knew very few Black people that could recommend doctors they had been treated with respect by. She combed review sites, including Google reviews and Healthgrades, but couldn’t find how nearby physicians and hospitals might treat a Black woman like her.
“It’s hard to tell if it’s a fellow Black person who’s giving the review,” Caldwell said.
It is rare for consumer ratings sites to identify patients’ experiences according to race or ethnicity, and hospitals have no obligation whatsoever to disclose the breakdown of patient satisfaction scores by race and ethnicity. This information can be used to hold maternity care providers, hospitals and other healthcare professionals accountable for inequitable treatment of patients. It could also empower mothers-to-be like Caldwell by helping them find quality obstetrical care.
“You can’t change what you don’t see,” said Kimberly Seals…
