When bias impacts your healthcare

Three strategies to tackle implicit biases in your practice

Let's rewind to a morning etched into my memory like a neon sign in the darkness. Picture this: the emergency room, bustling with activity, as I huddle there with my mother, wracked with pain from what would later be diagnosed as food poisoning.

As I sit in the examination room, my stomach in knots, a nurse bursts in, seemingly unfazed by my distress. "You're not pregnant," she announces, loud enough for the entire ward to hear, before vanishing as quickly as she appears. 

Parks And Recreation - Donna, Excuse Me, GIF

Confusion floods over me. I'm a virgin, fully aware of my status, yet here I am, subjected to a pregnancy test without consent. Moments like these peel back the layers of bias woven into our healthcare system.

Your experience may be different.

Perhaps you've walked into a doctor's office seeking care, only to find that beneath the facade of warmth and attention lies a subtle current of bias influencing your treatment. This is the crux of one of healthcare's most enduring misconceptions: the belief that implicit biases play a minor role in patient care quality. But for individuals like me, a Black woman, these biases can significantly shape the care we receive.

That's why healthcare providers must confront and address implicit biases head-on. It's not just about morality; it's a professional duty. By acknowledging and challenging these biases, we can bridge the gaping chasm of healthcare disparities, ensuring equitable care for every patient. So, let's veer off our usual path today and discuss the intricate ways implicit biases influence patient care, armed with strategies to counter their impact.

Why does this matter?

Implicit biases, though unconscious, wield undeniable power over patient care quality. Research illuminates the stark reality: biases regarding race, ethnicity, and identity contribute to pervasive healthcare disparities. Therefore, providers must grasp that, despite their best intentions, these biases seep into clinical decisions, treatment recommendations, and patient interactions. As agents of change, we must proactively tackle these biases to combat health inequity. Now that we've uncovered the pervasive influence of implicit biases in healthcare let's explore actionable steps to address and mitigate these biases in practice.

Three Strategies to Tackle Implicit Biases in Your Practice

1. Embrace Awareness

In a world where individuals are often dismissed or invalidated, acknowledging the existence of implicit biases is the crucial first step toward transformative change. It's not about questioning the validity of your patient's experiences—they're not imagining the disparities in their care, even if you are the provider they're referring to. Let that sink in. 

Engaging in introspection and reflection is essential as a healthcare provider. Take a deep dive into your beliefs, attitudes, and past experiences that might be coloring the care you provide. It's not always comfortable to confront our biases, but it's necessary. We can begin the journey towards equitable care for all by shining a light on them.

2. Empower Action

Knowledge alone isn't enough; action is the catalyst for real change. Once we know our biases, we must roll our sleeves and implement interventions that chip away at their influence. Think of it as a growth journey—when we know better, we can do better.

Integrate evidence-based bias-reduction techniques into your clinical practice, whether it's through mindfulness exercises, stereotype replacement, or perspective-taking. Additionally, leverage decision-support tools and algorithms to guide your clinical decisions, ensuring that biases don't inadvertently dictate patient care. By proactively adopting these strategies, we pave the way for a healthcare landscape where equity reigns supreme.

3. Foster Inclusivity

The cornerstone of mitigating biases is creating diverse and inclusive environments. This is more than just a checkbox—it's about actively cultivating a space where every voice is heard, and every identity is valued. In a landscape where bills like the EDUCATE Act loom, making diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts more challenging, our commitment to creating inclusive environments becomes even more critical. 

We must prioritize recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce, ensuring representation from underrepresented racial, ethnic, and identity backgrounds. But it doesn't stop there—ongoing diversity training and education programs are essential to foster cultural sensitivity and understanding. As healthcare providers dedicated to equitable care, let's pledge to champion diversity and inclusivity in every aspect of our practice, leaving no room for biases to dictate patient outcomes.

Where do we go from here? 

If you walk away with nothing else today, remember that implicit biases are not harmless assumptions. Instead, they have real and profound effects on patient care quality, particularly for marginalized communities like Black women. By recognizing and challenging these biases, healthcare providers can strive toward a more equitable healthcare system where patients receive the care they deserve.

What are you waiting for if you haven’t joined us at the Enhance Black Women's Health community newsletter? Subscribe to the newsletter to access resources and tools for addressing implicit biases in your practice. Together, we can champion diversity and inclusion in healthcare and pave the way for equitable care for all.