Addressing Bias in Healthcare: A Call to Action

Biases related to race, ethnicity, gender, and other factors have a profound and adverse effect on patient care, teaching, training, and research within the healthcare sector. These biases not only impact the quality of care provided but also affect the recruitment and retention of diverse healthcare providers. This, in turn, hampers our ability to improve outcomes for patients from underrepresented backgrounds.

To address these issues, it is essential to implement strategies over time, both at the individual and team levels. Each healthcare professional must commit to change, and teams must learn to work together, holding each other accountable to provide equitable and bias-free care.

Building a Foundation of Knowledge

The first step in combating bias is for learners to develop a solid foundation of knowledge about discrimination and ways to address it. This includes understanding the different levels of discrimination, such as micro (individual) versus macro (systemic), and the various methods of discrimination, including microaggressions, stereotyping, institutional/systemic discrimination, and interpersonal discrimination. It is also crucial to understand the underlying causes of bias.

Developing Skills to Combat Discrimination

Armed with this knowledge, learners must then develop skills to combat discrimination effectively. This includes leveraging one's privilege to act as an ally and support those who are marginalized. Practical skills and strategies must be taught and practiced to ensure that healthcare providers can recognize and address bias in real-time.

Tailoring Skills to Specific Work Functions

Finally, it is important for learners to tailor their anti-discrimination skills to their specific work functions. For example, healthcare providers should learn how and why to discuss discrimination with patients from underrepresented backgrounds. This tailored approach ensures that the strategies are relevant and effective in the context of their daily work.

Honoring Awareness Months

In addition to these ongoing efforts, it is important to honor awareness months dedicated to social justice causes. For instance, Spina Bifida Awareness Month and Native American Heritage Month provide opportunities to highlight specific issues and promote understanding and inclusivity for these populations within the healthcare community.

By committing to these steps, healthcare providers can work towards a more equitable and inclusive environment, ultimately improving the functioning and outcomes for all patients, especially those from underrepresented backgrounds.