A new study from Johns Hopkins Medicine has found that Black patients with Lyme disease often have to wait longer for a correct diagnosis and treatment compared to White patients. Lyme disease is an illness caused by bacteria spread through tick bites, and it can cause a distinct rash called erythema migrans (EM).The study looked at 1,395 patients, including 43 Black and 1,291 White individuals.
On average, Black patients had to wait 35 days before receiving the right antibiotics, while White patients waited only 23 days. This difference was even more noticeable in patients with the EM rash. Black patients with EM waited 26 days for treatment, while White patients only waited 4 days.Black patients were also more likely to be diagnosed with advanced stages of Lyme disease, suggesting that doctors may have missed chances to diagnose and treat the illness earlier.
The researchers, including Dr. John N. Aucott from the Johns Hopkins Lyme Disease Research Center, think this might be because medical resources often don’t show what the EM rash looks like on darker skin. They also suggest that unconscious bias and racial discrimination could play a role.
These findings show that it’s important to make sure all patients have equal access to quick diagnosis and treatment for Lyme disease. This can be done by including pictures of the rash on different skin colors in educational materials and by addressing possible biases in healthcare.
See “Blacks More Likely to Experience Inequities in Early Diagnosis, Treatment of Lyme Disease” on the Infectious Disease Special Edition website (February 14, 2024)
