As in health care in general, disparities in surgical care and outcomes exist between patients of color and their white counterparts. The reasons are multifactorial and interconnected, with contributing factors related to the patient, health care providers, the health care system, and surgical and postoperative care. Disparities can occur at any point along the perioperative continuum. Research conducted during the past 10 years supports the existence of disparities in the surgical experience, but few researchers have recommended strategies that perioperative teams can implement for improvement.
This paper identifies disparities in surgical care and outcomes experienced by patients of color as well as actions that can be taken to decrease disparities, which include addressing social determinants of health, addressing health care provider bias, increasing the minority nursing workforce, promoting change at the institution and national level, and implementing ERAS protocols. Future research should focus on surgical disparities experienced by other minority groups, including other racial and ethnic minorities and LGBTQ+ populations.