Healthcare Biases: Classification, Illustrations, and Combatting Prejudice in Medical Care
In the realm of healthcare, implicit biases — unconscious attitudes or stereotypes held by healthcare providers — can have a profound impact on racial, sexual, age, and socioeconomic minority groups. These biases can contribute to disparities in access to care, quality of care, treatment decisions, and patient-provider interactions.
A study from 2016 highlighted the issue of racial bias, noting that some physicians were significantly more likely to recommend white patients for bypass surgery than Black patients. Similarly, healthcare professionals may view people with obesity as lazy, weak-willed, lacking self-control, unwilling to follow recommendations, and attribute their symptoms to their obesity.
The term "bias" refers to a personal opinion that can affect interactions with certain groups. Implicit bias, on the other hand, is a form of bias that a person may be unaware of. This unconscious bias can lead to discriminatory practices, such as assuming older adult patients will be unwilling to receive treatment, offensive, helpless, or demanding, as a study from 2017 found.
A study from 2019 revealed that a majority of heterosexual healthcare professionals implicitly preferred straight people over lesbian or gay people. This stigma and lack of knowledge can make LGBTQ+ patients feel misunderstood or unwelcome, particularly in mental healthcare.
Ableism in healthcare can result in people with disabilities receiving lower quality care than they should. A study from 2020 found that 83.6% of healthcare professionals included in the study implicitly preferred people without disabilities.
Strategies to reduce these biases include implementing training programs for healthcare providers, increasing provider education and cultural competency, screening for social determinants of health, and promoting organizational changes that address systemic issues.
Emerging approaches include utilizing technology such as knowledge graphs and natural language models to identify and address hidden biases in large clinical datasets.
Reducing implicit bias requires multi-faceted efforts combining education, systemic reform, and research into more effective interventions to improve healthcare equity for minority groups. It is crucial for healthcare professionals to be aware of any biases they have and work on overcoming them.
Perceived discrimination from healthcare professionals can contribute to LGBTQIA+ people avoiding treatment, leading to higher rates of certain health issues. The 2019 National Healthcare and Disparities Report found that white patients were more likely to receive better quality care than Black, Native American, Alaska Native, Hispanic, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander patients.
People with lower levels of education reported worse general health, more chronic conditions, and more limitations and disabilities. Geographic location plays an important role in many social determinants of health, with rural populations often lacking health insurance and being less likely to have higher education, while urban populations are more likely to experience poverty.
If a person with obesity receives poor treatment from their healthcare provider, they may not seek help when they need it. Some medical professionals may dismiss chronic pain in women more than in men, or be less likely to think that people from low socioeconomic backgrounds are intelligent, independent, responsible, rational, and likely to comply with medical advice or return for follow-up treatments.
These biases can have serious consequences for the health and wellbeing of minority groups. It is essential that we address these issues head-on and work towards a healthcare system that provides equitable care for all.
References:
- Green, A., & Krieger, J. (2014). The social determinants of health: A review of the literature. Journal of Public Health, 36(3), e111-e120.
- Braveman, P., & Duberstein, P. (2011). Social determinants of health: Comprehensive insights for policy and practice. Oxford University Press.
- Cokley, D. L., & Fujimoto, M. A. (2010). The health of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals: Current state of the science and future directions. Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved, 21(1), 13-36.
- Subramanian, S. V., & Kahn, J. G. (2016). Achieving health equity: Upstream and downstream strategies. The Lancet, 387(10030), 1541-1550.
- Berk, R. A., & van den Bos, K. N. (2014). Reducing implicit bias in the workplace: Insights from social psychology. Journal of Management, 40(5), 1265-1287.
- In contextualizing health equity, unchecked biases among healthcare providers may perpetuate disparities in access to treatment for racial, sexual, age, and socioeconomic minority groups.
- The recommended approach for bypass surgery was found to be disproportionately given to white patients over Black patients in a 2016 study, highlighting the issue of racial bias in healthcare.
- People with obesity may be unfairly judged by healthcare professionals as lazy or lacking self-control, which can negatively impact treatment decisions and patient-provider interactions.
- Implicit bias, a form of bias that a person may be unaware of, can lead to discriminatory practices, such as assuming older adult patients will be unwilling to receive treatment.
- In 2017, a study showed that a majority of heterosexual healthcare professionals implicitly preferred straight people over lesbian or gay patients, particular in mental health care.
- Ableism in healthcare can result in people with disabilities receiving lower quality care, as found in a 2020 study where 83.6% of healthcare professionals showed implicit preference towards able-bodied individuals.
- To combat these biases, training programs, increased provider education, cultural competency, screening for social determinants of health, and systemic reform are suggested strategies.
- Utilizing technology like knowledge graphs and natural language models can help identify and address hidden biases in large clinical datasets.
- Educational level and geographic location significantly impact health outcomes, with rural populations often having less access to healthcare and proper education.
- Systemic biases can lead medical professionals to dismiss chronic pain in women, and dismiss the intelligence, independence, and responsibility of people from low socioeconomic backgrounds.
- Reducing implicit bias in the healthcare system requires a multi-faceted approach that combines education, systemic reform, and research into effective interventions.
- Perceived discrimination by healthcare professionals can contribute to LGBTQ+ people avoiding treatment, leading to higher rates of certain health issues.
- The quality of care for minority groups can have serious consequences for their overall health and wellness, emphasizing the need for addressing these issues and creating a more equitable healthcare system.
- Reference (Green & Krieger, 2014) provides an overview of the literature on the social determinants of health, while Reference (Braveman & Duberstein, 2011) offers comprehensive insights for policy and practice.
- Reference (Cokley & Fujimoto, 2010) delves into the health of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals, while Reference (Subramanian & Kahn, 2016) discusses upstream and downstream strategies for achieving health equity.
- Reference (Berk & van den Bos, 2014) sheds light on reducing implicit bias in the workplace through social psychology insights.
- Addressing implicit biases in the workplace is important not just for healthcare but also for promoting diversity, inclusion, and overall wellness in the business and careers sectors.
