Health beliefs could explain some health disparities.(Journal Watch)

Reasons for racial disparities in health care are not understood well, partly because many researchers who have tried to identify racial disparities have used large administrative databases with limited clinical information. For example, lung cancer is more prevalent in blacks and is associated with a lower rate of surgery and reduced 5-year survival. To assess patient beliefs about lung cancer surgery, researchers surveyed 626 outpatients (65% white, 25% black; mean age, 60) at 5 Veterans Affairs and university clinics in Pennsylvania, California, and South Carolina. Nearly all patients had either chronic pulmonary diseases or lung cancer.

Overall, 37% of respondents …