Addressing racism in hospitals and rehabilitation facilities in Germany - results of the RiGeV project - PTH 5 - Exclusion and Discrimination

Sep 30, 2026

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Racism functions as a social determinant of health, shaping barriers to access and quality of inpatient healthcare. The RiGeV project generated empirical insights into racism within clinical care and produced recommendations for policy and practice to be disseminated in German healthcare institutions. Multi-perspective quantitative and qualitative studies included episodic interviews with racialized patients, problem-centred interviews with staff, patient and facility surveys, and reflexive expert interviews with managerial personnel. Results show institutions often do not treat racism as systematic, while professionals call for reflection and dialogue, leadership-led initiatives, and training, sanctions, and mission statements supporting non-discriminatory treatment.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

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Pages1

Reading Time3 min

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Abstract

Aim

Methods

Results

Conclusions

vi96 European Journal of Public Health, Vol. 35, Supplement 6, 2025 Abstract citation ID: ckaf180.262 120 Addressing racism in hospitals and rehabilitation facilities in Germany – results of the RiGeV project Regina Brunnett1, Tugba Aksakal2, Kübra Annac2, Leman Bilgic3, Patrick Brzoska2, Ksenia Meshkova1, Sibille Merz3, Hürrem Teczan-Güntekin3, Yüce Yilmaz-Aslan2 1University of Applied Sciences Fulda, Fulda, Germany 2University Witten Herdecke, Witten Herdecke, Germany 3Alice Salomon University, Berlin, Germany PTH 5: Exclusion and Discrimination, B307 (FCSH), September 4, 2025, 15:15-16:09 Racism has been recognized as a social determinant of health. An evolving concern of research and policy-making has been the impact of racism on barriers to access and quality of inpatient healthcare, while more recent studies uncover the experiences of patients facing racism in these settings. To effectively dismantle racism, it is crucial to gain a comprehensive understanding of how institutions within inpatient healthcare address this issue. Aim: The goal of the project was to gain empirical insights into racism in clinical care and to develop recommendations for policy and practice that to be disseminated in healthcare institutions in Germany. Methods: As part of the joint project on racism in healthcare (RiGeV), supported by funding from the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, multiperspective quantitative and qualitative studies were conducted, including 22 episodic interviews with racialized patients and 20 problem-centred interviews healthcare staff, quantitative surveys of patients as well as in hospitals and rehabilitation centers, and 10 reflexive expert interviews with their managerial personnel. Results: The findings indicate that although a majority of healthcare institutions do not recognize racism as a systematic issue, healthcare professionals have highlighted a clear need for environments that support reflection and dialogue. Initiatives spearheaded by hospital leadership offer promising starting points for organizational change and learning aimed at critically addressing and combating racism. Conclusions: Recommendations for policy and practice underscore the necessity of developing a mission statement that advocates for non-discriminatory treatment and ensures the safety of both patients and staff. Within an organizational environment that fosters racism-critical reflection and learning, it is crucial to enforce sanctions against racist behaviour in healthcare institutions and incorporate the topic of racism into the training and ongoing education programs for physicians and healthcare professionals.

FAQs

What was the aim of the RiGeV project?

To obtain empirical insights into racism in clinical care and develop recommendations for policy and practice for dissemination in healthcare institutions in Germany.

What methods were used in the project?

The study used multiperspective quantitative and qualitative approaches, including 22 episodic interviews with racialized patients, 20 problem-centred interviews with healthcare staff, quantitative surveys in hospitals and rehabilitation centers, and 10 reflexive expert interviews with managerial personnel.

What did the results show about how institutions address racism?

Most healthcare institutions did not recognize racism as a systematic issue, but healthcare professionals emphasized the need for environments supporting reflection and dialogue, with leadership initiatives as promising starting points for organizational change.

Which recommendations are highlighted in the conclusions?

Develop a mission statement supporting non-discriminatory treatment and safety for patients and staff, foster racism-critical reflection and learning, enforce sanctions against racist behaviour, and incorporate racism into training and ongoing education for physicians and healthcare professionals.

Sep 30, 2026

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