Source-Based Essay Proposal

Source-Based Essay- Draft 1

Source-Based Essay Final Draft

Composition of 2 Genres: Draft 1

Composition of 2 genres: Final Draft

Inquiry-Based Paper: Draft 1

Inquiry-Based Research Essay: Genre #3

Inquiry-Based Research Essay: Genre #4

Inquiry-Based Research Essay: Final Draft

Depending on the point made in a paper or speech, a genre can be used to get it across. The genres used could range from argumentative essays, academic blogs, magazines, and opinion columns. The disparity of medical diagnosis is an idea that readers or even listeners could easily grasp if explained using a genre or two. Two genres that could portray those ideas to readers are argumentative essays and academic blogs.

Topics of discussion and controversy having to do with medical institutions, effect in one way or another, marginalized groups. According to the Glossary of Essential Health Equity terms, marginalized groupsare“groups and communities that experience discrimination and exclusion (social, political, and economic) because of unequal power relationships across economic, political, social, and cultural dimensions.” Marginalized groups can refer to women, those with disabilities, black/people of color, and those of different socioeconomic backgrounds. These marginalized groups are forced to have discussions amongst themselves, in their respective communities, pertaining to the discrimination they face during their daily lives. The disparity in the treatment of these marginalized groups also occur outside of hospitals and clinics, from workspaces to academic environments. In medical environments a topic that comes up often is the discussion of the disparity of medical diagnoses between the different marginalized groups.

This topic of disparity in medical diagnosis has made it to researchers and those in professional environments, from nurses, to doctors, and even psychiatrists. They have done studies upon studies, compared data, and have also concluded that these disparities do in fact exist. When thinking of the studies made, one might think that they are specific to the western world like North America and Europe: this is not the case. In fact, these studies have occurred worldwide from western countries like the US to India on the other side of the world. These marginalized groups and their positions vary from country to country and the disparities are the result of stereotypes present in their communities.

In the US specifically, those impacted by the implicit biases that result in disparities, have also internalized those same biases that put them in that position. Detriment to their patients, these implicit biases have made their way into their doctor’s office and the other medical care facilities. Western societies that have huge divides between socioeconomic status, like the United States of America and countries in Europe, stem from racism and continue to blindly share their narrative. It is no surprise that those that are taking care of marginalized groups, were exposed to these ideas/stereotypes.

Western societies have tried to fight against these implicit biases. For example, race when doctors have patients that are Black or of color. There have been laws and policies put into place to prevent discrimination, which results in implicit biases: “152 countries that have prohibited discrimination in promotions and/or demotions based on gender”, according to Social Work Today. While the fight is unified and policies have been put in place, they don’t do much to address the issues, like equal access to healthcare, that minorities face. Their fight only goes so far. A study that focuses on Europe and its healthcare system states, “explicit policy measures to achieve compliance with the principle of equality in access to healthcare are not specifically mentioned in the primary-law instruments.” Meaning that while laws may exist there isn’t anything being done that discrimination isn’t happening.

Doctors and others in clinical positions often make assumptions about their patients instead of asking questions. When one feels that they know all about a patient based off the color of their skin there leaves no room for discussion or for the doctor to remain curious enough to ask more questions. One only learns more when they ask questions.

With all this in mind I have decided that my target audience isn’t just those who take care of patients in these medical spaces but also those surrounding them. This includes their family, friends, and the individual patients themselves. Those close to them sometimes do not realize the extent of certain medical issues that their close ones suffer from, the uncomfortable feeling they get when walking into their hospital knowing they will be scrutinized for being themselves and will not be able to relate to their doctors/nurses. Implicit biases and stereotypes experienced in institutions as well as in our day-to-day lives stem from institutional biases that run deep in the very systems that we live by: “Systematic discrimination is not the aberrant behavior of a few but is often supported by institutional policies and unconscious bias based on negative stereotypes.” Everyone including patients themselves or any other person experiencing this are no exception to projecting stereotypes and implicit biases to others. Everyone is exposed to the same systems and policies that many biases and stereotypes have stemmed from and unfortunately, many internalize and later project these onto themselves and others. Some patients don’t even recognize when they’re facing discrimination.

Researching this topic, I concluded that it would be easy to gather research. I typed ‘disparity when it comes to medical diagnosis’ in the Google search bar and in total there were 49,300,000 results, highlighting how widespread this discussion is and the abundance of research/evidence available. The choosing of which sources could be used is where the struggle lied. In the mix of all those results were scholarly sources, newspaper articles, magazines, and even opinion pieces. But the selection of sources was dependent on the direction I wanted to take my paper and, in this case, what genres your paper are based off. Another crucial factor in choosing evidence is the target audience: it wouldn’t make sense to choose evidence that advises dog owners when your target audience is cat owners.

Keeping this in mind, choosing a genre or more to focus on to convey your message is important. There are a couple of different genres to choose from but for the purpose of my paper, my focus will be on academic blog and argumentative essay. Focusing on the academic blog component of the composition, an academic blog has a sophisticated structure that is straight to point and clear-cut. Not only is it straight forward but it provides facts backed by evidence. Academic blogs are more so impersonal and deviate from words like ‘my,’ ‘I,’ and words of that sense.

Argumentative essays on the other hand depend on tone. Depending on the writer’s goal, they can choose to be impersonal or personal. With argumentative essays another huge factor is persuasion. The main goal is to communicate to readers different stances but push their personal stance and try to convince them to side with you. In this instance, I did not follow every aspect of an academic blog. Instead, I chose different featured from both genres that would mesh well together. Regarding academic blogs my paper focused on providing facts and ideas and supporting them with evidence that seemed dependable. On the other hand, with the argumentative portion I wanted to make it obvious what my stance was, to show how big of a disparity existed regarding medical diagnosis. This being my stance I had to also throw in my opinions. Because I wanted my paper to be impersonal, the phrasing of my opinions and how I chose to present it mattered. My paper had to represent my thoughts and ideas but from afar.

Work Cited

1. Orzechowski, Marcin. “Social Diversity and Access to Healthcare in Europe: How Does European Union’s Legislation Prevent from Discrimination in Healthcare? – BMC Public Health.” BioMed Central, 14 Sept. 2020, bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-020-09494-8.
2. November 2014 Glossary of Essential Health Equity Terms – Nccdh.ca. https://nccdh.ca/images/uploads/comments/English_Glossary_Nov17_FINAL.pdf.
3. Great Valley Publishing Company, Inc. “News.” Nearly 235 Million Women Worldwide Lack Legal Protections From Sexual Harassment at Work, https://www.socialworktoday.com/news/dn_111317.shtml.

Disparity in Medical Diagnosis

Changes happen as time goes on. This was no different when the French Revolution took place during the late 1700s in France and in 1760 when the Industrial Revolution began in Great Britain, Europe, and the United States. Both instances led to societal and political changes as well as technological advancements. Specifically, these changes and advancements in technology have led to income inequality, the continuity of racial discrimination, as well as gender discrimination. These instances are seen repetitively in professional, medical, and recreational settings.

One could even argue that a medical setting is also a professional setting. Doctors, nurses, and other healthcare workers are expected to carry themselves in a professional manner (hence the reason a medical setting is also considered that of a professional one). They’re also expected to remain unbiased and think with open minds. This is because one mistake, judgement or action has the possibility of changing the lives of a patient, either positively or negatively.
These instances do happen in One could wonder why the focus is on medical settings and not a different settings and professions, but our focus will be on the medical setting in different settings, the focus will be on medical settings; specifically on how socioeconomic income, race, as well as gender bias have led to a disparity.

Many of the issues having to do with disparity in medical diagnosis are interconnected, race with socioeconomic status, and implicit bias with race, socioeconomic status and even gender.
The interconnection between race and socioeconomic status stems from the history of the United States. Slavery is intertwined with the history of the United States along with the laws that have been passed. Even after slavery was abolished white people, who were the majority and had the most political power, saw themselves as superior to black people. According to National Library of Medicine, “in 1944, a majority of white persons (55 percent) indicated that white people should have the first chance at any kind of job”. They already had much of an advantage when it came to getting hired due to their white privilege and the law being in their favor, yet they still thought that another privilege was needed on top of their many others. This text also goes into depth on the effect that negative stereotypes on black people ahs had an impact on their ability to get affluent jobs/positions as well as homes. This in turn influences their insurance packages: “Compared with white persons, black persons and other minorities have lower levels of access to medical care in the United States due to their higher rates of unemployment and under-representation in good-paying jobs that include health insurance as part of the benefit package”. With a non-existent health insurance or health insurance that isn’t up to par, it isn’t a surprise that many black people go undiagnosed for many diseases. Not only that but many can’t afford medical expenses, so they avoid going to hospitals to receive medical care.

The expense for medical attention isn’t the only thing impacting the help that black people need and the disparity they face when it comes to medical diagnoses. Another reasoning behind the disparity of medical diagnosis in the black community is implicit bias. And according to Patient Engagement Hit medical providers unconsciously have these biases that they implement when having communication with black people and people of color. While a provider may not realize that they are behaving this way, patients do recognize the bias. This in turn makes patients feel uncomfortable and they will most likely not want to receive care as often. With implicit bias “some providers may limit the depth of shared decision-making or explanations of medical concepts because their implicit bias tells them a patient does not have the health literacy to fully engage with her care”. With the very little information received by providers because of this internal but unconscious bias along with the patients being distanced because they recognize this bias, it doesn’t come as a surprise that black patients and those of color, aren’t receiving the care they need in medical settings.

Implicit bias is also related to the disparity in medical diagnosis in relation to socioeconomic status. The relation between socioeconomic status is very much close to the point of which one can’t talk about one without mentioning the other. The reality being that (in the United States) “African-Americans, Latinos, and the economically disadvantaged experience poorer health care access and lower quality of care than white Americans”, according to Forbes. Its not to say that white people can not be poor or struggle, but instead that majority of those that struggle, and face socioeconomic problems are black and Latino. Medical care in America is expensive and those who cannot afford it avoid going to the hospital to seek medical attention or advice unless necessary. This can even be until symptoms of an unknown disorder get out of hand, which at that point because of the lack of care may be irreversible.

Furthermore, the history of America plays a huge part in this. Segregation and several policies that prevented those in black and colored communities from receiving adequate care have had a long-term effect on their access and continue to do so. According to the National Library of Medicine, “Despite the unprecedented explosion of scientific knowledge and the phenomenal capacity of medicine to diagnose, treat and cure disease, Blacks, Hispanics, Native Americans, and those of Asian/Pacific Islander heritage have not benefited fully or equitably from the fruits of science or from systems responsible for translating and using health sciences technology”. Because access has improved many assume that all have access, and this couldn’t be further from the truth. While access has improved, the diseases and disorders that have already presented themselves in these communities and families due to lack of access have already left their mark. They have been introduced into bloodlines and getting rid of them is a hassle.
An example of the interconnectedness of these different issues as well as the effect racism has had on the disparity of medical diagnosis long-term is diabetes. A black or brown family (one that isn’t white) didn’t have access to fruits, vegetables, and other nutrients because they couldn’t afford it and their race. Their race prevented successful businesses that had all these things, so they had to make do with what they had. Not eating healthy and not having access to medical care or an education on what should or shouldn’t be eaten leads to someone developing diabetes. If one person in this environment develops diabetes the chances are that others have also developed it since they live under the same circumstances. If they had access to healthcare, they would have known when they were pre-diabetic. These policies that were put into play were in effect for over 50 years and oversaw the birth of more than one generation of families living in those same conditions. Meaning no change in circumstance with the same living conditions and allowing more and more of the same communities to develop disorders and disease like diabetes, which is hereditary.

Another factor that has also impacted the disparity in medical diagnosis is gender and the bias that follows: “Gender bias can be conscious, and something someone is aware that they have. Gender bias can also be unconscious, or something a person is not aware of.” Whether it is known or not, this bias is the same as the others in the sense that it is also hard to get rid of. Gender bias isn’t specific to one gender but it more prevalent for women. Many women patients that experience pain as a symptom are dismissed and are seen “as too sensitive, hysterical, or as time-wasters,” according to Medical News Today. Because of the stereotype that women are dramatic and sensitive, doctors second-guess their symptoms.
This mindset also impacts women who are trying to get assessed for deadly diseases such as cancer and autoimmune diseases.

In one way or another, several reasons for the disparities in medical diagnosis relate to implicit bias. There needs to be a change made within medical institutions themselves. Change needs to start somewhere. Doctors and those in medical positions must try their best to unlearn these internalized stereotypes and biases that they may have, which is not as easy as it sounds, which is why hospital administrators should lend a hand in this effort. A couple of ways that hospitals and the healthcare system can help with this fight against disparity include:

1. Hospitals can create programs that discuss implicit bias and its impact on patients short-term and long-term and mandate personnel attend a certain number of hours each quarter.
   i. These programs can also include sessions that discuss stereotypes which are the foundation of implicit bias.
   ii. Statistics should be shown as well as real life accounts to humanize the statistics and help them further understand the detriment that any one of their decisions that are especially influenced by implicit biases, could have on patients.
2. Open donations or allow others to donate to those who are not able to afford medical bills and such.
3. Create pamphlets educating about the different struggles that any patients could be facing.
4. Doctors should hold each other responsible when they notice a coworker behaving in a way that makes a patient uncomfortable.
5. Create a system where patients could leave reviews on how they were treated or felt during their appointment or receiving treatment.
   i. My belief is that this should be anonymous so that patients don’t feel uncomfortable, and it also avoids any invasion of private on their end.
   The only way to go about these changes is to educate, a common theme that can be seen throughout the suggestions mentioned beforehand. This attempt at change should be continuous and shouldn’t end once a hospital/medical facility notices a slight positive change in patient treatment; consistency is key. Again change such as this isn’t easy but it is necessary in order to combat the disparity that different marginalized groups are facing in medical diagnosis.

Cited Sources:

1. Williams, D R, and T D Rucker. “Understanding and addressing racial disparities in health care.” Health care financing review vol. 21,4 (2000): 75-90.
2. PatientEngagementHIT. “What Is Implicit Bias, How Does It Affect Healthcare?” PatientEngagementHIT, 20 Oct. 2020, patientengagementhit.com/news/what-is-implicit-bias-how-does-it-affect-healthcare.
3. Robert Pearl, M.D. “Why Health Care Is Different If You’re Black, Latino or Poor.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 6 Mar. 2015, www.forbes.com/sites/robertpearl/2015/03/05/healthcare-black-latino-poor/?sh=40ce65a77869.
4. Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Diagnosis and Treatment: A Review of … https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK220337/.
5. MediLexicon International. (n.d.). Gender bias in medical diagnosis: Facts, causes, and impact. Medical News Today. Retrieved May 6, 2022, from https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/gender-bias-in-medical-diagnosis#what-is-gender-bias

Many topics of discussion or even controversy having to do with medical institutions, effect in some way or another a marginalized group. According to the Glossary of Essential Health Equity terms, marginalized groupsare“groups and communities that experience discrimination and exclusion (social, political, and economic) because of unequal power relationships across economic, political, social, and cultural dimensions”. Marginalized groups can refer to women, those with disabilities, black/people of color, and those of different socioeconomic backgrounds. These marginalized groups have these discussions amongst themselves, in their communities. The disparity in the treatment of these marginalized groups also occurs outside of medical institutions, from workspaces to academic environments. In medical environments a topic that comes up often is the discussion of the disparity of medical diagnoses between the different marginalized groups.

This topic of disparity in medical diagnosis has made it to researchers and those in professional environments. They have done studies upon studies, compared data, and have also concluded that these disparities do in fact exist. When thinking of the studies made, one might think that they are specific to the western world like North America and Europe: this isn’t the case. In fact, these studies have occurred worldwide from western countries like the US to India on the other side of the case. These marginalized groups and their positions vary from country to country and the disparities are the result of stereotypes present in their communities.

In the US specifically, many have been affected by these disparities that have much to do with implicit biases that many have internalized without realizing. Detriment to their patients, these implicit biases have made their way into their doctor’s office and the other medical care facilities they may attend. With a country that has a huge divide between socioeconomic status, which has stemmed from racism and that continues to blindly share their narrative freely, it is no surprise that those that are taking care of marginalized groups have been exposed to these ideas/stereotypes.

For example, race when doctors have patients that are black or of color. Caretakers/doctors have this automatic assumption about the lifestyle of their patient. When one feels that they know all about a patient based off the color of their skin there leaves no room for discussion or for the doctor to remain curious enough to ask more questions. One only learns more when they ask questions; this is a statement that everyone should remember through their everyday lives.

With all this in mind I’ve decided that my target audience isn’t just those who take care of patients in these medical spaces but also those surrounding them. This includes their family, friends, and the individual patients themselves. Those close to them sometimes don’t realize the extent of certain medical issues that their close ones suffer from, the uncomfortable feeling they get when walking into their hospital knowing they will be stereotyped and won’t be able to relate to their doctors/nurses. Implicit biases and stereotypes that are experienced in institutions as well as in our day-to-day lives stem from institutional biases that run deep in the very systems that we live by: “Systematic discrimination is not the aberrant behavior of a few but is often supported by institutional policies and unconscious bias based on negative stereotypes”. Everyone including patients themselves or any other person experiencing this are no exception to projecting stereotypes and implicit biases to others. Everyone is exposed to the same systems and policies that many biases and stereotypes have stemmed from and unfortunately, many internalize and later project these onto themselves and others. Some patients don’t even recognize when they’re facing discrimination.

Researching this topic, I concluded that it would be easy to gather research. I typed ‘disparity when it comes to medical diagnosis’ in the Google search bar and in total there were 49,300,000 results, showcasing how widespread this discussion is and the abundance of research/evidence available. The picking and choosing of which sources could be used is where the struggle lied. In the mix of all those results were scholarly sources, newspaper articles, magazines, and even opinion pieces. But the selection of sources was dependent on the direction I wanted to take my paper and, in this case, what genres your paper are based off. Another important factor in choosing evidence is the target audience: it wouldn’t make sense to choose evidence that advises dog owners when your target audience is cat owners.

Keeping this in mind, choosing a genre or more to focus on to convey your message is important. There are many different genres to choose from but for the purpose of my paper, my focus will be on academic blog and argumentative essay. Focusing on the academic blog component of the composition, an academic blog has a sophisticated structure that is straight to point and clear-cut. Not only is it straight forward but it provides facts backed by evidence. Academic blogs are more so impersonal and deviate from words like ‘my’, ‘I’, and words of that sense.

Argumentative essays on the other hand depend on tone. Depending on the writer’s goal, they can choose to be impersonal or personal. With argumentative essays another huge factor is persuasion. The main goal is to communicate to readers different stances but push their personal stance and try to convince them to side with you. In this instance, I didn’t follow every aspect of an academic blog. Instead, I chose different featured from both genres that would mesh well together. Regarding academic blogs my paper focused on providing facts and ideas and supporting them with evidence that seemed reliable. On the other hand, with the argumentative portion I wanted to make it obvious what my stance was, to show how big of a disparity existed in the medical field regarding medical diagnosis. This being my stance I had to also throw in my opinions. Because I wanted my paper to be impersonal, the phrasing of my opinions and how I chose to present it mattered. My paper had to represent my thoughts and ideas but from afar.

Disparity in Medical Diagnosis

            Changes happen as time goes on. This was no different when the French Revolution took place during the late 1700s in France and in 1760 when the Industrial Revolution began in Great Britain, Europe, and the United States. Both instances led to societal and political changes as well as technological advancements. Specifically, these changes and advancements in technology have led to income inequality, the continuity of racial discrimination, as well as gender discrimination. These instances are seen in professional, medical, and recreational settings.

One could even argue that a medical setting is also a professional setting. Doctors, nurses, and other healthcare workers are expected to carry themselves in a professional manner (hence the reason why a medical setting is also considered that of a professional one). They are also expected to remain unbiased and think with open minds. This is because one mistake, judgement or action has the possibility of changing the lives of a patient, either positively or negatively.

These instances do happen in One could wonder why the focus is on medical settings and not a different settings and professions, but our focus will be on the medical setting in different settings, the focus will be on medical settings; specifically on how socioeconomic income, race, as well as gender bias have led to a disparity.

 In a way, two out of three of these subtopics (race and socioeconomic position) can be seen as interconnected. This stems from the history of the United States. Slavery is intertwined with the history of the United States along with the laws that have been passed. Even after slavery was abolished white people, who were the majority and had the most political power, saw themselves as superior to black people. According to National Library of Medicine, “in 1944, a majority of white persons (55 percent) indicated that white people should have the first chance at any kind of job”. They already had much of an advantage when it came to getting hired due to their white privilege and the law being in their favor, yet they still thought that another privilege was needed on top of their many others. This text also goes into depth on the effect that negative stereotypes on black people ahs had an impact on their ability to get affluent jobs/positions as well as homes. This in turn influences their insurance packages: “Compared with white persons, black persons and other minorities have lower levels of access to medical care in the United States due to their higher rates of unemployment and under-representation in good-paying jobs that include health insurance as part of the benefit package”. With a non-existent health insurance or health insurance that isn’t up to par, it isn’t a surprise that many black people go undiagnosed for many diseases. Not only that but many can’t afford medical expenses, so they avoid going to hospitals to receive medical care.

The expense for medical attention isn’t the only thing impacting the help that black people need and the disparity they face when it comes to medical diagnoses. Another reasoning behind the disparity of medical diagnosis in the black community is implicit bias. And according to Patient Engagement Hit medical providers unconsciously have these biases that they implement when having communication with black people and people of color. While a provider may not realize that they are behaving this way, patients do recognize the bias. This in turn makes patients feel uncomfortable and they will most likely not want to receive care as often. With implicit bias “some providers may limit the depth of shared decision-making or explanations of medical concepts because their implicit bias tells them a patient does not have the health literacy to fully engage with her care”. With the very little information received by providers because of this internal but unconscious bias along with the patients being distanced because they recognize this bias, it doesn’t come as a surprise that black patients and those of color, aren’t receiving the care they need in medical settings.

Implicit bias is also related to the disparity in medical diagnosis in relation to socioeconomic status. The relation between socioeconomic status is very much close to the point of which one can’t talk about one without mentioning the other. The reality being that (in the United States) “African-Americans, Latinos, and the economically disadvantaged experience poorer health care access and lower quality of care than white Americans”, according to Forbes. Its not to say that white people can not be poor or struggle, but instead that majority of those that struggle, and face socioeconomic problems are black and Latino. The medical system in America is expensive and those who cannot afford it avoid going to the hospital to seek medical attention or advice unless necessary. This can even be until symptoms of an unknown disorder get out of hand, which at that point because of the lack of care may be irreversible.

Implicit bias and stereotypes of black people and those of color have an arrange of ways to im

INCOME

• How are they treated differently/similarly with THE TWO DIFFERENT DISEASES?
  • STATISTICS
  • PERSONAL ACCOUNTS OR SPECIFIC QUOTES FROM PEOPLE

GENDER

• How are they treated differently/similarly with THE TWO DIFFERENT DISEASES?
  • STATISTICS
  • PERSONAL ACCOUNTS OR SPECIFIC QUOTES FROM PEOPLE

            The root of this problem or the connection between the different reasons for the disparities in medical diagnosis is implicit bias. It comes up often which shows that a change has to be made. A change needs to be made in the system to lessen he burden and provide easier access to medical attention for those who can’t afford it. there also needs to be change made within medical institutions themselves. Change needs to start somewhere. Doctors and those in medical positions must try their best to unlearn these internalized stereotypes and biases that they may have

            A way to go about this is to educate; educate those in the field of different stereotypes and biases and the history behind them. It should also be made apparent to them the impact hat these biases and such have on black people and those of color. Statistics should be shown as well as real life accounts in order to humanize the statistics and help them further understand the detriment that any one of their decisions that are especially influenced by implicit biases, could have on patients.

Cited Sources:

1. Williams, D R, and T D Rucker. “Understanding and addressing racial disparities in health care.” Health care financing review vol. 21,4 (2000): 75-90.
2. PatientEngagementHIT. “What Is Implicit Bias, How Does It Affect Healthcare?” PatientEngagementHIT, 20 Oct. 2020, patientengagementhit.com/news/what-is-implicit-bias-how-does-it-affect-healthcare.
3. Robert Pearl, M.D. “Why Health Care Is Different If You’re Black, Latino or Poor.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 6 Mar. 2015, www.forbes.com/sites/robertpearl/2015/03/05/healthcare-black-latino-poor/?sh=40ce65a77869.

With time and effort comes progress. This is something that is taught and repeated throughout a person’s life. This also applies to those in school or attempting to pick up a new hobby. This same motto (or idea) can be applied to this ENGL 110 class.

As we have had multiple assignments to complete, both big and small, we have also had to strengthen our writing abilities. At first, it was a struggle moving on from the way I was taught to write in middle school and high school. Throughout those years I wrote many essays, but they were mostly conversational and from my perspective. There is nothing wrong with a piece that is conversational and from one person’s perspective; but when one wants to write a research-based essay this isn’t a feature that should be included. Instead, it should be professional, and one should learn how to remove themselves from the equation while also informing readers of their stance: this is what I learned. Another thing that was brought to my attention that has made me a better writer is knowing how to formulate a specific research question that isn’t to narrow or broad. Both can be a problem. These are still things that I’m working on, but there has been a change.

Moving on to our latest assignment, The Inquiry-Based Research Essay, I have also been able to incorporate these new points that I learned into this essay. My research question prior to this assignment was very specific. It focused on the disparity in ADHD diagnosis when it came to gender due to gender bias. This topic had a very specific audience (men and women who have been diagnosed early in life, men and women that have been diagnosed late in life, doctors) and focus that didn’t have many resources to the point of which I could also use the same research question in another research-based essay. This is why I decided to broaden my topic to disparity in medical diagnosis. With this focus I can include at least 2 of the main reasonings for disparity with room to include more reasonings with plenty of resources available. Now that my question has been broadened so has my audience. I can now have people from different races, genders, doctors, those who have been diagnosed late or early in life with any disease, doctors. The difference now is that this topic is not just available to those diagnosed with ADHD but those diagnosed with any of the diseases known to man. These new methods and their impact will hopefully be shown in the Inquiry-based Research Essay that has been assigned.

Compared to my previous topic for my source-based essay, my inquiry research paper had much more information available. My new research topic focuses on the disparity in medical diagnosis. Now, I have found a total of four sources. These four sources were found through the CCNY library using the Opposing Viewpoint database provided. My first source, an academic journal, is titled “Understanding and Addressing Racial Disparities in Health Care”. This focuses on the impact race has on medical diagnoses. Unbeknownst to many, many biases exist in hospitals and clinics whether doctors/nurses realize it or not. My second source titled, “COVID-19 prevalence, symptoms, and sociodemographic disparities in infection among insured pregnant women in Northern California”, is also an academic journal. This focuses on the disparities of medical diagnosis when it comes to people of different income brackets. Another source I have found is, “Disparities in women’s health care access”. This source is a magazine, which is different from the other two sources mentioned beforehand. My last source is “New Dementia Study Findings Have Been Reported from Tufts Medical Center (Dementia Diagnosis Disparities by Race and Ethnicity)” and it’s a news report. This is a source that I am not entirely sure of, only because it’s a topic I’m not sure I want  to discuss in my paper. My paper has a lot of work that needs to be done regarding research. A couple of things I need to work on is getting sources that are from the media: like photos or even tik-toks. I also need to come up with a couple more sources that oppose my viewpoint, and a couple more that support my stance.

Gender Bias and Over Diagnosing ADHD

            Attention-Deficit/Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD), according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders of childhood”; In other words, this is a disorder that develops at an early age and has symptoms that are visual and set their occupants apart from others. With symptoms that are presented through actions and behaviors, it brings the question: why is it that many girls weren’t diagnosed with ADHD during childhood when they present clear symptoms, all while boys are being over diagnosed?  

            The same story is repeated by women who were diagnosed with ADHD late in life: not being diagnosed until it had already driven us into depression and anxiety. The thing about human nature is that when a person has no idea what is going on with themselves, no clarity as to why their behaviors compared to others aren’t on the same spectrum, one begins to question themselves. This often stems from remarks made by those around them, like teachers, family, and even friends. Those around them “are unaware of the symptoms of inattentive ADHD and may write them off as moodiness or laziness”. With no escape from the feeling of disappointment from those around you and at yourself, one may become depressed.This is a continuous cycle that negatively impacts the person’s life: their academic career, work-life, as well as their day-to-day life. This continues until a diagnosis is made and one gains clarity and is then able to practice methods of those struggling with ADHD (Attention-Deficit/Hyperactive Disorder).

The time and effort that America has put into the research of ADHD lead many to believe that it is a disorder that is more prevalent in America and less in other parts of the world. Because of this theory, many think that the debate on the disorder (late diagnoses of girls and over diagnosing of boys) are also prevalent to America. This is in fact, a global issue that is debated constantly by different groups of psychiatrists. There are even records of ADHD being over diagnosed in boys in Iran. Gender bias is the culprit behind the corruption of the diagnosis process of psychiatrists all over the world. A study was done in Iran that focused on the diagnosing process of Iranian doctors of both genders. It was found that psychiatrists were 2.45 times more likely to over-diagnose boys than girls. Furthermore, it is mentioned that the reason for this gap is the different symptoms that each gender displays; girls are found to display more inattentive symptoms while boys are found to be more disruptive. This is where the alignment to gender bias can be made. In the society that we live in and the norms of society, there is an expectation when it comes to the behaviors of both genders. Girls are taught to be quiet, obedient, and to hold themselves together while boys are even encouraged to be disruptive. Boys will be boys, they say. Is it a surprise that the boys are disruptive and hyperactive when in fact the society we have lived and raised boys in, acts as an enabler for them to continue to do so?

 With that in mind along with the statistics and other facts are given, one can conclude the stance and tone of this source. The authors: Beheshti, Mira-Lynn, and Christiansen, introduced the discussion topic with the same template as that of a lab report which gives it an official look. Include the multitude of statistics and specifics regarding control groups and whatnot, one can conclude that the authors chose to inform readers of the true numbers behind the diagnostics of ADHD. Readers were given evidence and the tone was not meant to be one of persuasion. Instead, the authors gave readers a more logical viewpoint, also known as logos.

It can be drawn that the over-diagnosing as well as the lack of diagnosing when it comes to girls, has devastating consequences. Women with ADHD, especially those not having been diagnosed and overlooked, tend to suffer from depression, anxiety, substance abuse, and even eating disorders. Many have opened the topic up for discussion on a multitude of platforms, from newspapers, to journals, websites, and even magazines. The Talk of the Nation did just that. A psychiatrist, a host, and calls from women who have in one way, or another dealt with ADHD. One by one, the women shared their stories and the relationship they had with ADHD. For some, it was their children who were diagnosed and some of these mothers were diagnosed during their adulthood. These are compelling stories that were shared to show the disproportionality when it comes to diagnosing girls in comparison to boys. The psychiatrist mentions girls getting overlooked. The symptoms are apparent and noticed, but the correlation to ADHD is not made because of the difference in symptoms.

The issue with the disproportionality when it comes to the diagnosis of girls begins at an institutional level. The blame is on the healthcare system. Being that it is a healthcare system, one would expect that it should be used to spread knowledge on different disorders and be used to be aware/keep up to date on patients and changes in behavior and such. Instead, there is little to no research that has been done on women affected by ADHD and its long-term effects. If the healthcare system doesn’t spread awareness on the topic, or any topic for that matter, it’s not likely that many will be on the lookout for that specific circumstance. Take Covid-19 and Omicron as an example. The CDC keeps nd continues to keep the population and those around the world in touch and gives guidance on the disease and ways to stay safe. If not, many more people would have died and there wouldn’t be any awareness or information to protect yourself and those around you.

When it comes to bringing awareness and creating collaborations, the healthcare system and the education system should be creating many. With these collaborations comes the opportunity for the healthcare system to train teachers, administration, and even parents about disorders and things to be on the lookout for. According to Morning Sign Out, this is the primary issue. Parents and teachers have no clue what to be on the lookout for. Not only that, but even with doctor evaluations, boy diagnosis to girl diagnosis is 9:1. This is a huge gap.

The host of the broadcast Talk of the Nation is Allison Stewart, and she makes it a point to touch base on the lack of research that has been done. She even goes as far to mention someone needs to take the initiative: “I found myself just a little bit angry that there wasn’t more research about girls, and that all these young women and girls out there struggling with this problem, and there hasn’t been a whole lot of attention paid to it. What’s going to change that?”. As a host of a show, author, or anything where people look to you for information, it isn’t common to give opinions and stances on a topic; especially when there is a professional involved to inform and educate. In this case, Allison Stewart, the host, wasn’t afraid of voicing her take on the topic. Stewart uses persuasion (pathos) to get this point across and express the changes she feels should be made.

Looking at all the evidence found, one can conclude that there is in fact over diagnosing of boys for ADHD and very little diagnosing of girls. Within the different sources used for this topic, there are also different tones, stances, and methods being presented. From pathos to logos, the use of persuasion, and even statistics. All show the same point being made with different methods. With the language changes from source to source, one could tell that certain sources were meant for specific audiences. An example is the newspaper passage on the conversation between a psychiatrist, the host, and those affected by ADHD. This specific text pulling on the heartstrings of those reading is meant for those out in the world also affected by the disorder; to just let them know that they aren’t alone and that there is a safe space to talk and share their life with the disorder, and to also receive advice.

Through all the research found, there is a common theme: there is recognition that there is an issue in the health system regarding ADHD diagnosis in boys and girls. Boys are over-diagnosed, and girls underdiagnosed, and at a global scale at that. There are calls for change from those who have experience with this issue, as well as a call from people with platforms like Allison Stewart. Many have come out and shared their story bringing even more attention to ADHD. This attention can one day, hopefully, bring about the solution that traumatizes many women in their later stages of life.  

Work Cited

1. Beheshti, Ashkan, et al. “ADHD Overdiagnosis and the Role of Patient Gender among Iranian Psychiatrists.” BMC Psychiatry, vol. 21, no. 1, 2021, https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-021-03525-3.
2. “Diagnosis Can Miss ADHD Symptoms In Girls.” Talk of the Nation, 18 Nov. 2008. Gale Academic OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A189231690/AONE?u=cuny_ccny&sid=bookmark-AONE&xid=f4029174. Accessed 25 Feb. 2022.
3. “Study Findings from University of Marburg Provide New Insights into Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorders (ADHD overdiagnosis and the role of patient gender among Iranian psychiatrists).” Women’s Health Weekly, 11 Nov. 2021, p. 631. Gale Academic OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A681529233/AONE?u=cuny_ccny&sid=bookmark-AONE&xid=ada84665. Accessed 25 Feb. 2022.
4. Ajith, Gouri. “Morning Sign out at UCI.” Morning Sign Out at UCI, 17 Mar. 2018, https://sites.uci.edu/morningsignout/2018/03/17/the-gender-gap-bias-in-adhd-diagnosis/.
5. Faraone, Stephen V et al. “The worldwide prevalence of ADHD: is it an American condition?.” World psychiatry : official journal of the World Psychiatric Association (WPA) vol. 2,2 (2003): 104-13.

Gender Bias and Over Diagnosing ADHD

            With many topics wandering our minds it is a struggle choosing just one. We start off making a list and stick with the one that relates to us the most. This was my thought process when it came to choosing a topic for this assignment. I started off with about three different topics and decided that the topic I find most intriguing is the over diagnosing of boys versus girls regarding ADHD. Attention-Deficit/Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD), according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders of childhood”; meaning that it’s a disorder that can be diagnosed since childhood. This brings me to the question: why was I, along with many other girls, not diagnosed with ADHD until adulthood?

            My story is like that of many women who have been diagnosed with ADHD. I did not find out until it had already drove me into depression and anxiety. The thing with human nature, is that when a person has no idea what is going on with themselves, no clarity as to why their behaviors compared to others aren’t on the same spectrum, one begins to question themselves. Maybe I am just lazy. Maybe I don’t try hard enough because I just don’t care. Maybe what they said about me is true: I never want to take things seriously. I’m really a disappointment. It’s a choice. These are just a couple of the thoughts that have taken over my mind throughout my academic career and livelihood. Imagine the thoughts of other women who had no clarity and thought the same thing of themselves: that they were lazy and would never make it.

One may begin to think that the struggle of late diagnosing and over diagnosing is one that only Americans in the United States (US) are forced to deal with. The fact of the matter is that it isn’t. It’s a global issue that is debated constantly by groups of psychiatrists. There are even records of ADHD being over diagnosed in boys in Iran. Gender bias is the culprit behind the corruption of the diagnoses process of psychiatrist all over the world. A journal, which is a form of scholarly source, focused on the diagnosing process of Iranian doctors of both genders. It was found that psychiatrist where 2.45 times more likely to over diagnose boys than girls. Furthermore, it is mentioned that the reason for this gap is the differing symptoms that each gender displays; girls are found to display more inattentive symptoms while boys are found to be more disruptive. This is where the alignment to gender bias can be made. In the society that we live in and the norms of society, there is an expectancy when it comes to the behaviors of both genders. Girls are being taught to be quiet, obedient, and to always hold themselves together while boys are even encouraged to be disruptive. Boys will be boys, they say. Is it a surprise that the boys are disruptive and hyperactive when in fact the society we have lived and raised boys in, acts as an enabler for them to continue to do so?

The scholarly source being a journal made it even more reliable. With that in mind along with the statistics and other facts given, one can conclude the stance and tone of this source. The authors: Beheshti, Mira-Lynn, and Christiansen, introduced the discussion topic with the same template as that of a lab report which gives it an official look. Include the multitude of statistics and specifics regarding control groups and what-not, one can conclude that the authors chose to inform readers of the true numbers behind the diagnostics of ADHD. Readers were given evidence and the tone was not mean to be one of persuasion. Instead, the authors gave readers a more logical viewpoint, also known as logos.

It can be drawn that the over diagnosing as well as the lack of diagnosing when it comes to girls, has devastated consequences. Women with ADHD, especially those not having been diagnosed and been overlooked, tend to suffer from depression, anxiety, substance abuse, and even eating disorders. With this in mind, many have opened the topic up for discussion on a multitude of platforms, from newspapers, to journals, websites, and even magazines. The Talk of the Nation, a newspaper did just that. A psychiatrist, a host, and calls from women who have in one way, or another dealt with ADHD. One by one, the women shared their stories and the relationship they had with ADHD. For some, it was their children who were diagnosed and some of these mothers were diagnosed during their adulthood. These are compelling stories that were shared to show the disproportionality when it comes to diagnosing girls in comparison to boys. The psychiatrist mentions girls getting overlooked. The symptoms are apparent and noticed, but the correlation to ADHD is not made because of the difference in symptoms.

The issue with the disproportionality when it comes to the diagnosing of girls, begins at an institutional level. The blame is on the healthcare system. Being that it is a healthcare system, one would expect that it should be used to spread knowledge on different disorders and be used to be aware/keep up to date on patients and changes in behavior and such. Instead, there is little to no research that has been done on women affected by ADHD and its long-term effects. If the healthcare system doesn’t spread awareness on the topic, or any topic for that matter, it’s not likely that many will be on the lookout for that specific circumstance. Take Covid-19 and Omicron as an example. We owe it to the health care system as well as the CDC for guiding us and keeping us updated on the disease and ways to stay safe. If not, many more people would have died and there wouldn’t be any awareness on watching out for ourselves.

When it comes to bringing awareness and creating collaborations, the healthcare system and the education system should be creating many. With these collaborations comes the opportunity for the healthcare system to train teachers, administration and even parents about disorders and things to be on the lookout for. According to Morning Sign Out, this is the primary issue. Parents and teachers have no clue on what to be on the lookout for. Not only that, but even with doctor evaluations, boy diagnosis to girl diagnosis is 9:1. This is huge gap. The sharing of statistics is consistent with a source that wants to inform and provide readers with evidence-based facts.

The host of the broadcast Talk of the Nation is Allison Stewart, and she makes it a point to touch base on the lack of research that has been done. She even goes as far to mention someone needs to take the initiative: “I found myself just a little bit angry that there wasn’t more research about girls, and that all these young women and girls out there struggling with this problem, and there hasn’t been a whole lot of attention paid to it. What’s going to change that?”. The stance taken in this text much more obvious after she states this. Stewart uses more persuasive language compared to the other sources that were also in support of this topic. The distinct language also showcases one of the three rhetorical concepts, pathos.

Looking at all the evidence found, one can conclude that there is in fact over diagnosing of boys for ADHD and very little diagnosing for girls. Within the different sources used for this topic, there are also different tones, stances and methods being presented. From pathos to logos, the use of persuasion, and even statistics. All show the same point being made with different methods. With the language changes from source to source, one could tell those certain sources were meant for specific audiences. An example being the newspaper passage on the conversation between a psychiatrist, the host, and those affected by ADHD. This specific text pulling on the heart strings of those reading is meant for those out in the world also affected by the disorder; to just let them know that they aren’t alone and that there is a safe space to talk and share their life with the disorder, and to also receive advice.

Work Cited

1. Beheshti, Ashkan, et al. “ADHD Overdiagnosis and the Role of Patient Gender among Iranian Psychiatrists.” BMC Psychiatry, vol. 21, no. 1, 2021, https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-021-03525-3.
2. “Diagnosis Can Miss ADHD Symptoms In Girls.” Talk of the Nation, 18 Nov. 2008. Gale Academic OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A189231690/AONE?u=cuny_ccny&sid=bookmark-AONE&xid=f4029174. Accessed 25 Feb. 2022.
3. “Study Findings from University of Marburg Provide New Insights into Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorders (ADHD overdiagnosis and the role of patient gender among Iranian psychiatrists).” Women’s Health Weekly, 11 Nov. 2021, p. 631. Gale Academic OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A681529233/AONE?u=cuny_ccny&sid=bookmark-AONE&xid=ada84665. Accessed 25 Feb. 2022.
4. Ajith, Gouri. “Morning Sign out at UCI.” Morning Sign Out at UCI, 17 Mar. 2018, https://sites.uci.edu/morningsignout/2018/03/17/the-gender-gap-bias-in-adhd-diagnosis/.

            With never hearing about a source-based essay in my academic career, I didn’t know where to start. Based off the phrase “source-based”, I assumed that I would have to find sources that support whatever claim I decided to make in my paper. After going over the term and what the paper should entail, I came up with a couple of claims or options that could be discussed; from the topic of ADHD and the diagnosis or the lack thereof for both men and women, the effect of COVID on our economy, and lastly the effect of online classes compared to a traditional classroom setting which also ties into the COVID epidemic. These topics are all of interest to me and relate to my struggles and the struggle of many others, especially within the last couple of years. The COVID epidemic blindsided the world and forced all to adapt to a new lifestyle that is in effect to this day. In reference to ADHD: I was recently diagnosed and over the past few weeks of trying out different dosages and doing research, I have had many burning questions. Like why did it take me 19 years to get diagnosed? Why is it that more men get diagnosed than women? Why is it that I had to reach out to a therapist to get tested when I have been attending school and have dealt with licensed individuals who should have noticed that something was going on? Why did I show symptoms all throughout my school years just to get brushed off? This is just the brink of the burning questions that trouble me. It’s a topic that I am quite passionate about and ready to commit to.