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The Use of Race in Risk Assessment Tools Contributes to Systemic Racism

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Abstract

Many patients suffer from hip or knee osteoarthritis and elect to pursue total joint arthroplasty (TJA). Though perioperative risk is an inherent component of surgery, calculators that assess the risk of complications following TJA can help both surgeons and patients make informed decisions about the risk of surgery and aid in shared decision-making discussions. The inclusion of race in a risk calculator for readmission after TJA is flawed and unacceptable because a patient’s race does not increase their risk of a complication after total joint replacement.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Orthopaedics & Rehabilitation, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA

    Chloe C. Dlott & Daniel H. Wiznia

  2. Movement Is Life, Washington, DC, USA

    Mary I. O’Connor & Daniel H. Wiznia

  3. Vori Health, Nashville, TN, USA

    Mary I. O’Connor

Authors
  1. Chloe C. Dlott
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  2. Mary I. O’Connor
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  3. Daniel H. Wiznia
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Contributions

All authors contributed to the preparation of this manuscript. The first draft of the manuscript was written by Chloe Dlott, and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Chloe C. Dlott.

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The authors declare no competing interests.

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Dlott, C.C., O’Connor, M.I. & Wiznia, D.H. The Use of Race in Risk Assessment Tools Contributes to Systemic Racism. J. Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities 10, 1–3 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40615-022-01451-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40615-022-01451-y

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