joelbervell

#stitch with @GlennyDevvy some Saturday morning thoughts about one of my favorite psychology terms!

Lets talk about medical racism with the one and only @Blair Imani! #joelbervell #medicalmythbuster #medicalschool #nursingschool #doctor #healthcare #tiktokforgood #medicaltiktok

I came across a video on TikTok by @Nursebblay about how she took her 7-year-old daughter to the pediatrician because she was showing early signs of puberty. The doctor mentioned that had the patient been White, she would have recommended additional testing. But stated that because she was Black, and Black & Latina girls go into puberty early, that nothing needed to be done. In 1997, the Pediatric Endocrine Society first recommended new race-based criteria for defining precocious puberty based research papers that showed earlier onset of puberty in Black girls. It said that breast development should only be considered precocious in Black girls younger than 6 years but White girls younger than 7. The guidelines weren’t formally accepted, yet race has become widely accepted as a factor in puberty timing of girls. It wasn’t until after this Mom demanded for additional labs, that her daughter’s results eventually came back abnormal and a further work-up was started. I hope this story highlights how race-based assumptions in healthcare can lead to overlooked diagnoses. When we use race as a proxy for other factors, we overlook problems that could be occurring. Let’s continue challenging racial biases in medicine for better care for all. #joelbervell #racialbiasinmedicine #medicalmythbuster

If you haven’t heard of the death of Jessica Pettway yet, it’s a heartbreaking reminder of the urgent need to address racial disparities in healthcare in the United States. At 36 years old, she passed away after being misdiagnosed with fibroids. Black women, like Jessica, are disproportionately affected by cervical cancer, facing hurdles in obtaining timely diagnoses. It’s so so important to advocate for ourselves and others. Get vaccinated, get tested, and demand thorough care. Jessica's story has to spark change. #racialbiasinmedicine #joelbervell #medicalmythbuster #jessicapettway

A group of Doctors part of the American Academy of Dermatology (@aadskin) submitted a resolution to “Sunset All Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) programs. The resolution claims (without proof) that DEI is contributing to a decrease in the ability to provide unbiased and equal care for everyone, and is perceived as being filled with antisemitism. In the United States, less than 4% of all Dermatologists are Black. What is well documented is that racial health disparities in outcomes for dermatologic conditions like Melanoma and Lyme disease continue to exist, and medical schools still fail to include darker skin tones in their curriculum. Removing programs that DEI initiatives support like research, mentorship opportunities, and education sessions about skin color will set back the little progress that has been made. I’ve put a full link to the resolution in question as well as a link to sign a petition to expand DEI efforts in the AAD. Consider signing it. #joelbervell #dermatology #healthequity #dermondarkerskin

I taught Kelly Clarkson about the biases encoded in a medical device called a “pulse oximeter!” And like she said, “it’s scary.” Pulse oximeters are devices that go on your finger and measure your blood oxygen saturation level, essentially how much oxygen is circulating in your blood. They’re used everywhere - by people at home and in hospitals. What’s crazy is for decades, scientists have published studies in journals showing that pulse oximeters don’t work as equally in darker skin tones due to how they absorb light. And recent studies have shown that pulse oximeters are three times as likely to lead to overestimated oxygen saturation levels in patients with darker skin. Yet years later the problem still hasn’t been fixed and the conversation is ongoing. Thankfully there are people out there trying to create a solution. But it’s another example of the disparities that exist in medicine. #joelbervell #medicalmythbuster #kellyclarksonshow #kellyclarkson

This clip from the Kelly Clarkson show was truly one of the best moments of my life. Last year in May, I received a direct message from a woman named Annice. In her DM, she let me know that she had seen one of my videos about a racially biased equation called the Glomerular Filtration Rate, and how it assumed that all Black patients had better kidney functioning. She sent the video to her sister, and it caused her sister to be moved up 5 years on the Kidney transplant list! 🥹 Because of that, Annice’s sister just received a kidney transplant a few weeks ago! On the Kelly Clarkson Show, this was my first time getting to meet Annice in person. Hearing the story directly from her was EMOTIONAL. It truly drove home how real the impact of fighting systemic biases can be. #joelbervell #kellyclarksonshow #kellyclarkson

I’m sharing clips from my interview with Kelly Clarkson that I think were impactful! Here’s Kelly introducing me, and a story about cyanosis, a condition where the skin turns blue, and how that led me to start posting on TikTok to amplify disparities that I was seeing in medical school. #joelbervell #medicalmythbuster #kellyclarkson #kellyclarksonshow

Today, Representative Murphy introduced a Bill in Congress to “Ban DEI in Medicine.” According to the bill, it would “cut off federal funding to medical schools that force students or faculty to adopt specific beliefs, discriminate based on race or ethnicity, or have diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) offices or ANY functional equivalent.” This isn’t just bad policy, it will actively harm and lead to worse outcomes for minority patients, and set back the little progress that has been made in medicine. Studies show that having increased diversity in medicine leads to better care for all. #joelbervell #racialbiasinmedicine #dei #medicine #doctor #nurse #medicalschool

Did you know the first ever ambulance service was staffed by Black men? But they were purposefully excluded when the program was expanded. Welcome to Episode 10 of Black History. Let’s talk about the important story of Freedom House. #joelbervell #blackhistorymonth #medicine #paramedic #doctor #freedomhouse #ems #ambulance #medicalmythbuster #emergencymedicine

In this clip I talk with Kelly about a type of melanoma called “Acral Lentiginous Melanoma” a type of skin cancer that occurs more commonly in people of African and Asian descent, I explain how one of my videos led to a follower getting a biopsy of their own strange mole, which turned out to be pre-cancerous! Less than 6% of all physicians in the United States are Black, only 5.8% are Hispanic, and only .3% are American Indian or Alaskan Native. Studies show that when you have a more diverse healthcare workforce, healthcare becomes better for everyone. The physician workforce should reflect the populations we serve. #joelbervell#medicalmythbuster #kellyclarkson #kellyclarksonshow

I spoke with Kelly Clarkson about an equation called the Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR) that assumed that all Black patients had better kidney functioning than any other race. GFR is a measure of how well our kidney is working to filter out toxins from our body. High levels indicate better kidney functioning. For decades, Black patients had a multiplier added onto their GFR, and studies showed that the calculation potentially overestimated kidney functioning for Black patients, making it less likely for patients to receive kidney transplants or be recommended dialysis. One study estimated that 3.3 million more Black Americans would have been diagnosed with a higher stage of chronic kidney disease had the racial adjustment not existed. In 2021, an equation to measure kidney function that doesn’t use race was created, and as of January 2023 if you were a Black patient that had the race adjusted GFR equation, you had the potential to now have your wait-time adjusted. Kelly surprised me with a follower who had been impacted by this information! #joelbervell #racialbiasinmedicine #healthcare #kellyclarkson

Love love love this video by @Zoë Tyler so I had to amplify! It’s a great (and funny) example of how thinking solely about BMI can lead to incorrect diagnosis even when all other signs point to another diagnosis. I’ll be talking more about weight biases in future videos. Drop her a follow for more of her great skits!! #medicine #healthcare #medicalschool

I’ve been thinking a lot about the allure of escapism and how we do (or don’t) confront uncomfortable truths. I’m curious how you’ve felt and if you think this is a fair take 🤔

#ad According to a research letter in JAMA Surgery, the color of your scrubs changes a patient's perception of a doctor's skill. I'm testing that out with my @fabletics scrubs (peep the new Wave color!!) and I need your help: Do you think that these scrub colors impact your perception? Drop your thoughts in the comments! #FableticsAmbassador #medfluencer #fableticsmedfluencer #AD

A doctor, astronaut, business leader, artist and dancer?! She truly does it all. Welcome back to episode 5 of Black History. Let’s talk about Dr. Mae Jemison - she’s out of this world! #maejemison #astronaut #stem #inspiring #medicine #medicalschool #doctor #healthcare #joelbervell #medicalmythbuster

An amazing Black woman revolutionized eye surgery and how the world sees. Welcome to episode 2 of Woke Black History. Let’s talk about Dr. Patricia Bath! This month for Black History Month I’m posting a video about a Black change maker every single day. Tune in to hear about people you may never have learned about despite their incredible contributions to the world. #blackhistorymonth #patriciabath #opthamology #cataract #joelbervell #blackgirlmagic

Can you believe that the man who helped invent heart surgery wasn't even a surgeon? Let's talk about the legend himself, Vivien T. Thomas. #vivienthomas #doctor #medicine #bluebabysyndrome #heart #cardiology #healthcare #joelbervell #nursingschool #blackhistorymonth #medicalmythbuster #medicalschool

I’m bringing back my “Racial Bias in Medicine” series and adding updates about the changes that have, and have not been made to a whole slew of biases over the past few years. First up, let’s talk about pulse oximeters. Pulse oximeters are devices that measure how much oxygen is in your blood. For decades it’s been known that these devices can be faulty, and overestimate oxygen levels in patients with darker skin. Unfortunately, a new, updated pulse oximeter that is more accurate in darker skin tones has not yet been created. But scientists from diverse backgrounds are actively working to create a more equitable device that works for us all. #joelbervell #racialbiasinmedicine #pulseoximeters #greenscreen

In medicine, there’s a prenatal blood test called an “alpha-fetoprotein test” that is recommended to every pregnant person; but it includes a race adjustment. 

Alpha-fetoprotein, or AFP, is used in prenatal screening to inform pregnant people about their risk for fetal abnormalities like Down Syndrome, Trisomy 18, and neural tube defects. But labs routined adjust the concentration of the protein that is looked for by 10% in Black patients, and only Black patients. That race adjustment could have disproportionately and incorrectly informed Black pregnant people that they were at higher or lower risks for different abnormalities. In 2023, a study analyzed the records of 27K patients between 2007-2020, 6% of whom identified as Black. After adjusting for maternal weight and gestational age, there was no difference found in alpha-fetoprotein values between Black & non-Black pregnant patients. It’s another example of the harms that race-based medicine can have. #joelbervell #racialbiasinmedicine #medicalschool #nursingschool #pregnancy #alphafetoprotein #healthequity