Kimani Paul-Emile’s work on racial bias and discrimination in the medical profession was cited in a Washington Post op-ed.
First, how do we balance the patient’s right to determine his or her care with the provider’s obligation to treat? Kimani Paul-Emile, professor of law and biomedical ethics at Fordham University, coauthored a practice guideline in the New England Journal of Medicine on this issue, recommending that if a patient is either medically unstable or has impaired cognition, the assigned professional is obliged to provide care. However, if the patient is medically stable and has decision-making capacity, the provider should attempt to negotiate, inform the patient that harmful speech is not allowed, offer transfer to a different facility and if all else fails, accommodate the request. This guideline and others ensure that we provide appropriate medical care to all patients regardless of their biases.