Confronting Our Implicit Bias Is Required (Not Optional)

Three Steps to Confront Our Implicit Biases in Healthcare

For many healthcare providers, educators, and advocates, this work is about giving back to a system that has transformed our lives. However, some of us have gotten into this industry to address the harm we have or those we know have experienced. Like many others, Jasmine is a vibrant 34-year-old Black woman who faced a harrowing journey through the healthcare system. Despite her persistent abdominal pain and numerous visits to the emergency room, Jasmine's cries for help were ignored. Each time, she was met with dismissive diagnoses attributed to stress or menstrual discomfort. It wasn't until months later that Jasmine received the diagnosis she desperately needed: endometriosis. By then, the delay in treatment had allowed the condition to progress unchecked, severely impacting her quality of life.

Unfortunately, Jasmine’s story is not an anomaly but rather a stark illustration of a systemic issue deeply rooted in the intersectional experience that Black women have with implicit biases, race, and gender within healthcare. For this reason, I’m exploring actionable strategies to dismantle these biases and pave the way for equitable care for Black women.

But First, Let’s Talk About Implicit Bias 

If you’ve been a part of our community for a while, you know all too well what implicit biases are. If you’re new (welcome), let me give you a high-level overview. Implicit bias is the unconscious attitudes or stereotypes that influence our understanding, actions, and decisions. When compounded with racial and gender disparities, it creates a toxic concoction that disproportionately affects the care and outcomes of Black women.

Understanding and addressing implicit biases is paramount to providing quality care for healthcare providers. As demonstrated in Jasmine’s story, failure to recognize and mitigate these biases can lead to misdiagnoses, delayed treatments, and worsened health outcomes for Black women. Healthcare providers must have the knowledge and tools to recognize, challenge, and dismantle their implicit biases. Through this transformation, we pave the way for a healthcare landscape where every Black woman receives the equitable care she deserves.

Three Steps to Confront Our Implicit Biases in Healthcare

One of the first steps in addressing implicit biases is acknowledging their existence. Like a veil shrouding our perceptions, these biases operate subtly, often without conscious awareness. By cultivating self-awareness and humility, healthcare providers can begin to peel back this veil and confront their biases head-on. Once they’ve done that, these next three steps become much more accessible. 

Step 1. Understand What Intersectionality Is (And Is Not) 

While intersectionality is far from a “new” term, some things might need clarification. For our purposes, it is essential to recognize that identities intersect and influence one another. In other words, Black women experience unique challenges at the nexus of race and gender that compound the impact that implicit biases have on their healthcare experiences. I don’t mean to say that intersectionality is exclusive to Black women. The critical thing to know is that there are nuances that we, as providers, must consider when working with different clients to ensure we’re truly providing equitable care. 

Steps 2. Examine Where You’re Culturally Competent (And Not) 

Speaking of terms that may not be new but are new to us, I would be remiss if I didn’t discuss cultural competence. Cultural competence involves embracing cultural humility and actively seeking to understand Black women's diverse backgrounds and experiences. What this doesn’t mean, however, is treating Black women like monoliths and assuming what works for one works for all. Due to the African diaspora, which entails the movement (both voluntary and involuntary) of the descendants of African people throughout the world, Black culture is extremely diverse.​ It is vital - even for Black women like myself - to go beyond the surface-level knowledge we have about various Black cultures. We must also regularly learn and engage with multiple communities to ensure we’re provided culturally relevant care.

Step 3. Utilizing Evidence-Based Practices (Whenever Possible) 

There is something to be said about not reinventing the wheel when you have evidence of practices you know have worked in the past. Incorporating evidence-based tools and frameworks into your clinical practice, such as implicit bias training and standardized protocols, enables you to focus on best practices. This isn’t to say that experimenting with different tools or testing out strategies that might benefit your clients isn't to say that there aren't benefits. We should be taking proactive steps to help our clients whenever possible. However, by prioritizing evidence-based practices, we are equipping ourselves to make more objective and equitable decisions in client care.

Therefore, I hope that by peeling back the layers of implicit bias, you can explore actionable strategies that foster a culture of equity and inclusivity within your practice. Further, by dismantling the veil of implicit bias, we unlock the potential for transformative change within healthcare. By recognizing the intersectionality of race and gender and embracing cultural competence, healthcare providers can pave the way for equitable care for Black women.

I invite you to take the next step toward equitable care.

Join us for our upcoming live workshop, "Health Equity Rx—Your Prescription for Equitable Care for Black Women," at noon Eastern on Saturday, May 11, 2024. Together, let's continue the conversation and equip ourselves to make a meaningful difference in the lives of Black women everywhere. Sign up now to secure your spot and participate in this transformative movement.