Marcella Alsan, a physician-economist, is addressing health disparities in minority groups by investigating the role of historical discrimination and resulting mistrust in perpetuating racial disparities in healthcare usage and outcomes. Her research provides empirical evidence on how mistrust of medical institutions contributes to poor health indicators among Black men in the United States.
Alsan’s influential work includes a study on the long-term effects of the Tuskegee syphilis study, which found that mistrust significantly decreased medical care use and increased mortality among Black men. She also conducted a randomized control trial in Oakland, demonstrating that Black men were more likely to utilize preventive healthcare services when treated by Black doctors. Alsan’s efforts aim to improve trust and healthcare outcomes through racially concordant care and targeted interventions.
See: “Marcella Alsan” (2023)
See: “Dr. Marcella Alsan Discusses Health Disparities and the Roots of Medical Mistrust” (2023)
See: “Featured Researcher: Marcella Alsan” (2023)
