From the Guidelines
Implicit bias towards healthcare workers can be effectively mitigated through comprehensive training programs that include implicit bias and cultural competency training, as well as strategies to increase self-awareness and address systemic barriers to care. According to a recent study published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology 1, physicians should engage in implicit bias and cultural competency training to increase self-awareness, as 70% of physicians have an implicit preference for whites over blacks, which affects medical decision making, communication, and nonverbal behavior.
Key Strategies for Mitigation
- Implementing mandatory bias training that includes perspective-taking exercises, counter-stereotypical exposure, and mindfulness practices to help providers recognize and address their own biases
- Creating diverse healthcare teams to reduce collective bias and lead to more balanced patient care decisions
- Establishing standardized protocols and checklists for patient assessment to ensure consistent care
- Regular feedback mechanisms, including patient satisfaction surveys, to allow for continuous improvement
- Clear anti-discrimination policies with accountability measures for violations
- Mentorship programs pairing experienced providers with those from underrepresented groups to foster inclusive environments
Community Engagement and Training
A study published in the Annual Review of Public Health 1 highlights the importance of workshops and other training to increase self-awareness of implicit racial and social class bias among faculty, staff, and students. The Undoing Racism workshops led by the People’s Institute for Survival and Beyond are an example of training that can support effective community engagement.
Healthcare Organization Initiatives
Healthcare organizations should also take steps to address disparities in healthcare, including reaching out to surrounding community members, involving community representatives in planning and quality improvement initiatives, and incorporating race or ethnicity and primary language measures into quality improvement projects 1. By implementing these strategies, healthcare organizations can work towards reducing implicit bias and improving patient outcomes across all demographic groups.
From the Research
Mitigating Implicit Bias towards Healthcare Workers
To improve patient care, it is essential to address implicit bias towards healthcare workers. The following strategies can be employed:
- Raise awareness of provider bias and engage health care providers in establishing egalitarian goals for care delivery 2
- Provide skills training for the management of bias, including instruction on the existence and harmful role of bias in perpetuating health disparities 2, 3
- Implement systemic changes inside and outside the health care system to reduce health inequities 2
- Recognize and mitigate unconscious bias in patient-clinician interactions, hiring and promotion, and interprofessional interactions 4
- Encourage physicians to consciously take patients' perspectives and intentionally focus on individual patients' information apart from their social group 5
Reducing Health Disparities
Implicit bias can contribute to health care disparities by shaping physician behavior and producing differences in medical treatment along the lines of race, ethnicity, gender or other characteristics. To reduce health disparities:
- Increase awareness of implicit bias among physicians and provide training to manage bias 3, 5
- Implement bias-reducing strategies, such as perspective-taking and individuation, in clinical decision-making 5
- Increase the number of underrepresented physicians, as they may exhibit less implicit bias 5
Supporting Healthcare Workers
Healthcare workers, particularly trainees, may face patient bias and harassment. To support them: