Dissertation Research: Delayed Diagnosis: The Experience of Women with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus in Atlanta, Georgia

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This dissertation research project by a cultural anthropology student at Emory University will study the different experience by race of women afflicted with systematic Lupus erythematosus in Atlanta, GA. In the US, African-American women are affected by SLE at twice the rate of white women, and experience diagnosis delays that contribute to excess morbidity and mortality. The project will study the complex processes that contribute to this delayed diagnosis among African-American women. Relying on a sociocultural model of the medical behaviors involved, the student will test hypotheses which explain the differential in delayed diagnosis by ethnicity in three areas: doctor-patient relationships, differential expressions of pain and suffering, and social network/support resources. The methods include structured and semi-structured interviews, psychosocial instrument assessments, individual case studies, and intensive observation of clinical encounters, support group meetings and social relationships. This research is important because it will advance our understanding of racial differences in doctor-patient relationships, and will contribute to understanding the obstacles facing chronic disease sufferers. This new knowledge will be useful to biomedical practioners interested in improving their relationships with their patients, and to public health professionals interested in designing education programs for women with SLE and their families, or larger media campaigns concerning societal attitudes towards chronic illness.