Does Diversity Matter for Health? Experimental Evidence from Oakland

TLDR

The study examines how physician workforce diversity influences preventive care demand among African American men. An experiment in Oakland randomized black men to black or non‑black male doctors and measured preventive care decisions before and after the consultation. After seeing a black doctor, participants were far more likely to choose all preventive services—especially invasive ones—leading to an estimated 19 % reduction in the black‑white male cardiovascular mortality gap. JEL codes: I12, I14, C93.

Abstract

We study the effect of physician workforce diversity on the demand for preventive care among African American men. In an experiment in Oakland, California, we randomize black men to black or non-black male medical doctors. We use a two-stage design, measuring decisions before (pre-consultation) and after (post-consultation) meeting their assigned doctor. Subjects select a similar number of preventives in the pre-consultation stage, but are much more likely to select every preventive service, particularly invasive services, once meeting with a racially concordant doctor. Our findings suggest black doctors could reduce the black-white male gap in cardiovascular mortality by 19 percent. (JEL I12, I14, C93)