Major problems American society is facing are health and healthcare disparities. Health and healthcare disparities refer to differences in health and healthcare between populations. A “health disparity” refers to a higher burden of illness, injury, disability, or mortality experienced by one population group relative to another (CDC, n.d.). It comes as no surprise that there is a prevalent existence of racial and ethnic disparities in healthcare today as many studies have drawn a correlation between biases and inequity. These studies have found two potential causes: implicit biases and time pressure.
Results of the research showed that when doctors functioned under stress related to time constraints, they systematically leaned toward more aggressive …show more content…
The researchers found that healthcare professionals exhibit the same levels of implicit bias as the wider population (FitzGerald & Hurst, 2017). The interactions between multiple patient characteristics and between healthcare professional and patient characteristics reveal the complexity of the phenomenon of implicit bias and its influence on clinician-patient interaction. Correlational evidence indicates that biases are likely to influence diagnosis and treatment decisions and levels of care in some circumstances (FitzGerald & Hurst, 2017). Overall, these findings highlight the need for the healthcare profession to address the role of implicit biases in disparities in …show more content…
an ingroup is a social group to which a person psychologically identifies as being a member. By contrast, an outgroup is a social group with which an individual does not identify. Current research indicates that patients are more comfortable with care providers who resemble themselves. They feel less intimidated by the process of the healthcare system when details are explained in ways they can comprehend from people with common cultural beliefs, values, and experience. Patients are more willing to listen and more likely to share detailed information, take medical advice, and adhere to a care plan when working with care providers they trust. This could possibly suggest that ensuring that patients meets with a physician of their in-group could then provide them better care. However, this would most likely be seen as discriminatory and would not work in life threatening situations.
Unsurprisingly, implicit bias scenarios are magnified in healthcare. When protocols are ignored, decisions are made arbitrarily, omitting options or treatment plans based on stereotypes toward a patient in a given group. In too many cases, the impact of decisions made based on unconscious bias can be a matter of life and death. However, there are some possible solutions to assist in reducing implicit biases and improving patient care as well as physician efficiency. The possible standard approach to reduce implicit bias could be on individual
Results of the research showed that when doctors functioned under stress related to time constraints, they systematically leaned toward more aggressive …show more content…
The researchers found that healthcare professionals exhibit the same levels of implicit bias as the wider population (FitzGerald & Hurst, 2017). The interactions between multiple patient characteristics and between healthcare professional and patient characteristics reveal the complexity of the phenomenon of implicit bias and its influence on clinician-patient interaction. Correlational evidence indicates that biases are likely to influence diagnosis and treatment decisions and levels of care in some circumstances (FitzGerald & Hurst, 2017). Overall, these findings highlight the need for the healthcare profession to address the role of implicit biases in disparities in …show more content…
an ingroup is a social group to which a person psychologically identifies as being a member. By contrast, an outgroup is a social group with which an individual does not identify. Current research indicates that patients are more comfortable with care providers who resemble themselves. They feel less intimidated by the process of the healthcare system when details are explained in ways they can comprehend from people with common cultural beliefs, values, and experience. Patients are more willing to listen and more likely to share detailed information, take medical advice, and adhere to a care plan when working with care providers they trust. This could possibly suggest that ensuring that patients meets with a physician of their in-group could then provide them better care. However, this would most likely be seen as discriminatory and would not work in life threatening situations.
Unsurprisingly, implicit bias scenarios are magnified in healthcare. When protocols are ignored, decisions are made arbitrarily, omitting options or treatment plans based on stereotypes toward a patient in a given group. In too many cases, the impact of decisions made based on unconscious bias can be a matter of life and death. However, there are some possible solutions to assist in reducing implicit biases and improving patient care as well as physician efficiency. The possible standard approach to reduce implicit bias could be on individual