Diversity-sensitive hematology

Diversity-sensitive hematology
Dr.. Marie von Lilienfeld-Toal
Founding Director, Institute for Diversity Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
In medicine, health is often defined by the presence of normal findings. But what exactly is "normal"? In most cases, normal and frequent are equated, which is problematic in itself. Unlike other disciplines, where it may be conceivable to abolish the concept of normality altogether in favor of multifaceted diversity, medicine needs references that provide guidance in deciding whether a person is healthy or needs treatment. A good example of this are reference ranges for laboratory values, which indicate which laboratory results can be considered normal and which are outside the norm. In this presentation, the blood count (white blood cells, red blood cells, platelets) will be used to highlight the pitfalls in the current implementation of this medical concept and the improvements that diversity-sensitive medicine can achieve in this area.