Toolkit aims to reduce health disparities for racial, ethnic minorities.

American Medical News (9/10) editorializes, "Despite the best efforts of health professionals, patient advocates and policymakers, the US still struggles to eliminate pervasive health disparities, especially for racial and ethnic minorities." Recognizing physicians' clinical and ethical responsibilities to their patients, the AMA has produced a Communication Climate Assessment Toolkit, "an online resource designed to help large group practices and hospitals evaluate their own efforts to treat diverse patient populations." The "toolkit, which has been assisting users since 2008, utilizes surveys of patients and staff to determine how well a clinic or office handles impediments to care that might be driven by patients' language, culture, literacy, illness or fear.”