Racism in Health Care
Reconstructive Qualitative Analysis of Racisms from the Perspective of Professional Caregivers in Hospitals and Rehabilitation Clinics (ASH Berlin sub-project)
Project duration: 01/01/2023 - 31/12/2025
Principal investigators: Prof. Dr. Regina Brunnett (Lead, Hochschule Fulda); Prof. Dr. Dr. Hürrem Tezcan-Güntekin (ASH Berlin); Prof. Dr. Patrick Brzoska (Universität Witten/Herdecke)
Project staff: Dr. Sibille Merz, Leman Bilgic, Ariam Hibtay, Hilal Yücesoy
Abstract:
The project focuses on racism in healthcare, using acute inpatient care and rehabilitation as examples. It examines racism from the perspectives of those affected and of facilities. It will examine attributions of healthcare personnel, as well as conditions and ways of dealing with discrimination related to racism in the facilities. The aim is to initiate organizational changes based on these findings. In Germany, few empirical findings on racism in healthcare are available. However, there are indications of everyday racism in isolated qualitative studies, as well as in health services research studies that reveal barriers to migrant healthcare.
The present study helps to close existing research gaps. It employs a mixed-methods approach. In addition to a literature review, it investigates the experiences of patients through qualitative interviews, reviews of social media sites, and a quantitative survey. Healthcare personnel are studied through qualitative interviews about their professional interactions with racialized patients, and the management of complaints in facilities is examined through a quantitative survey.
The results will be triangulated and used for reflective interviews with managers to explore starting points for organizational learning processes. Recommendations for action will be developed in collaboration with managers and a project advisory board.
The project will provide empirical insights into racism in healthcare and develop recommendations for reducing it. These recommendations will be linked to the concept of reflexive professionalization. The results of the project will be communicated to the public, healthcare networks, and the scientific community.
Funding: Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR)
Publications/Presentations:
- Häussler S, Merz S, Bilgic L, et al. (in review, expected 2027). Rassismen in der Gesundheitsversorgung: Perspektiven professionell Beschäftigter in Gesundheitseinrichtungen, die sich als von Rassismus betroffen identifizieren [Racism in Health Care: Perspectives of Health Care Professionals Who Identify as Victims of Racism]. In: Alkin Ö, Amirpur D, Ha K. N, Mustafa I (Eds.): Rassismus – Ein transdisziplinäres Kompendium [Racism – A Transdisciplinary Compendium]. Springer
- Merz S, Tezcan-Güntekin H (accepted, expected 2027). Forschungsdesiderate zu Gesundheit und Versorgung rassifizierter Menschen in Deutschland [Research Gaps Regarding the Health and Healthcare of Racialized People in Germany]. In: Alkin Ö, Amirpur D, Ha K. N, Mustafa I (Eds.): Rassismus – Ein transdisziplinäres Kompendium [Racism – A Transdisciplinary Compendium]. Springer
- Merz S, Bilgic L, Meshkova K, Aksakal T, Brunnett R, Yılmaz-Aslan Y, Brzoska P, Tezcan-Güntekin H (2026). Rassismus abbauen, Versorgung stärken – Handlungsempfehlungen für stationäre Gesundheitseinrichtungen [Combating Racism, Strengthening Care—Recommendations for Inpatient Healthcare Facilities]. Berlin, Fulda, Witten.
- Merz S, Bilgic L, Bhattacharya S, Stüwe E. M, Meshkova K. Bird R, Aksakal T, Häussler S, Yilmaz-Aslan Y, Brzoska P, Tezcan-Güntekin H (2026): Negotiating Responsibility: How German Healthcare Professionals Navigate Racism Between Recognition and Resistance. Frontiers in public health, 14, 1756637. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2026.1756637
- Merz S, Aksakal T, Hibtay A, Yücesoy H, Fieselmann J, Annac K, Yilmaz-Aslan Y, Brzoska P, & Tezcan-Güntekin H (2024). Racism Against Healthcare Users in Inpatient Care: a Scoping Review. International Journal for Equity in Health, 23. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12939-024-02156-w
- Tezcan-Güntekin H (2026): Rassismus und Diskriminierung im Gesundheitswesen [Racism and Discrimination in Healthcare], Keynote at the Diversity-Day of the Vivantes Kliniken Berlin, May 19, 2026
- Tezcan-Güntekin H (2026): Rassismus im Gesundheitswesen – Wie Gesundheitsfachkräfte in Deutschland zwischen Anerkennung und Abwehr navigieren [Racism in Healthcare – How Healthcare Professionals in Germany Navigate Between Acceptance and Resistance]. Lecture on May 21, 2026, Network of hospitals from the “Empowerment for Diversity” project
- Merz S, Tezcan-Güntekin H, Brunnett R, Brzoska P, Yilmaz-Aslan Y, Aksakal T, Meshkova K (2025): Forschungsverbund „Rassismen in der Gesundheitsversorgung“ [Research Consortium “Racism in Health Care”], Conference Armut und Gesundheit, Berlin, March 17-18, 2025
- Merz S, Tezcan-Güntekin H (2024): Rassismen in der stationären Versorgung: Ergebnisse eines Scoping Reviews [Racial Discrimination in Inpatient Care: Results of a Scoping Review]: Conference Armut und Gesundheit, Berlin, March 5–6 and 12, 2024
- Tezcan-Güntekin H, Papadopoulou S, Stüwe E, Meshkova K, Merz S (2024): Reflecting (on) Power? Critical Reflections by Healthworkers in Germany on Racial Power and Privilege, European Journal of Public Health, Volume 34, Issue Supplement_3, November 2024, ckae144.2084, https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckae144.2084, presentation at the European Conference of Public Health (17th EPH) in Lisbon, November 12–15, 2024
- Tezcan-Güntekin H, Stüwe E, Papadopoulou S, Meshkova K, Merz S (2024): Racism in Inpatient Settings in Germany: Professionals’ Perspectives, European Journal of Public Health, Volume 34, Issue Supplement_3, November 2024, ckae144.1662, https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckae144.1662, presentation at the European Conference of Public Health (17th EPH) in Lisbon, November 12–15, 2024
- Tezcan-Güntekin H, Merz S (2024): Methodische und ethische Herausforderungen qualitativer Rassismusforschung [ Methodological and Ethical Challenges in Qualitative Research on Racism], presentation at the Gesundheit-Gemeinsam 2024 Congress. Dresden, September 8–13, 2024
- Tezcan-Güntekin H, Merz S (2024): RiGeV – Methodische und inhaltliche Erkenntnisse aus den Expert*inneninterviews mit Gesundheitspersonal [Methodological and Content-Related Findings from Expert Interviews with Healthcare Professionals]. WinRa Workshop Discussion “Racism in Healthcare” on April 17, 2024
- Merz S, Yücesoy H, Hibtay A, Tezcan-Güntekin H (2023): Healthcare Users’ Experiences of Racism in Inpatient Care. A Scoping Review. Kickoff Conference of the Knowledge Network for Racism Research (WinRa), Berlin, October 12–13, 2023 (poster presentation)
- Tezcan-Güntekin H, Merz S, Yücesoy H, Hibtay A, Aksakal T, Yilmaz-Aslan Y, Annac K, Brzoska P (2023): Racism in Inpatient Health Care Settings: A Scoping Review. American Psychological Association, Division 45 Society for the Psychological Study of Culture, Ethnicity, San Diego, July 13-15, 2023
Keywords: Racism, Health Care, Inpatient Care, Rehabilitation
Contact:
Prof. Dr. Dr. Hürrem Tezcan-Güntekin
Professorin für "Interprofessionelle Handlungsansätze mit Schwerpunkt auf qualitativen Forschungsmethoden in Public Health"
Room No. 512
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