Addressing Bias in Medicine (QI Program Term 1 2021)
In 2002, The Institute of Medicine identified provider-held unconscious bias as one of the 3 root causes for racial or ethnic health disparities, with access and mistrust being the other two. As part of the Department of Medicine’s Anti-Racism Strategy, we will begin to address provider-held unconscious or implicit bias during Term 1 2021 of the MGPO Quality Incentive Program. QI Program-eligible physicians will be asked:
- To take the Race ('Black-White') implicit association test (IAT). 15-20 min
- To participate in a case-based module to learn about unconscious or implicit bias and understand its impact on the delivery of clinical care. This module will include a discussion of microaggressions and provide a framework to address microaggressions. 30 min
- To provide 3 changes to their practice that they will implement based on this learning 5-10 min
Further Reading:
- Gender Discrimination in Knee Osteoarthritis and TKA_OConnor_2011_Clin Orthop Relat Res
- Identification of Racial Inequities in Access to Spec Inpt HF Care at an AMC_Eberly_2019_Circulation
- Implicit Bias in Health Care_The Joint Commission_2016
- Implicit Bias in Healthcare Professionals- A Systemic Review_FitzGerald_2017_BMC Medical Ethics
- Physicians' Perceptions of People with Disability and Their Health Care_Iezonni_2021_Health Affairs
- Strategies to Mitigate Clinician Implicit Bias Against Sexual and Gender Minority Pts_McDowell_2020_Psychosomatics
- The Associations of Clinicians' Implicit Attitudes about Race w Medical Visit Comm and Pt Ratings of Interpersonal Care_Cooper_2012_Am J Public Health
- The Effect of Race and Sex on Physicians' Recommendations for Cardiac Cath_Schulman_1999_NEJM
- Unequal Treatment-Confronting Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health Care_Smedley_2003_IOM
- Weight Bias in Grad School Admissions_Burmeister_2013_Obesity
Additional Information
Sherri-Ann Burnett-Bowie, MD, MPH
Associate Director, MGH Center for Diversity & Inclusion
Director, Multicultural Affairs, Department of Medicine
Dr. Burnett-Bowie has no disclosures to report
Successful completion of this module satisfies the Department-chosen measure for Term 1, 2021 of the MGPO Quality Incentive Program.
No CME is provided.