Studies show that Black patients are less likely than their Caucasian counterparts to undergo diagnostic imaging at an emergency room visit—a discrepancy that could have major implications from a medical perspective.

X-rays, MRI exams and other imaging are among the first lines of defense in a hospital. If patients are not offered these services in a timely manner, some conditions can go undiagnosed and may result in complications and worse outcomes.

“We know, for example, that minorities have increased mortality from cancers of a variety of types,” said Dr. Andrew Ross, assistant professor of radiology at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. “They often present at later stages of cancer diagnosis.” And he said some of the disparity could be due to the way imaging is used for Black and Latinx patients.

Read the full article on WFYI.