The Conversation US reposted this
Associate Professor | Economist & Population Health Scientist | Reproductive Health Equity Expert and Consultant | Principal Investigator of the Green Inequality Lab
Nao Hagiwara and I wrote a piece on implicit bias trainings in healthcare settings for The Conversation US. Why we conclude that current implicit bias trainings are insufficient to foster change: 1) Awareness is not enough. While awareness of one’s biases is a necessary first step to mitigating implicit bias, it alone is not sufficient. Providers must also be personally invested in and have the mental capacity to address their biases. 2) Not enough time for habit change to sink in. Mitigating implicit bias requires repeated and consistent practice. Implicit bias is like a habit: it is deeply ingrained and operates without intentional control, making it challenging to recognize and change. 3) Training is not linked to quality improvement. Third, training effectiveness is more accurately assessed through patient outcomes, such as care satisfaction, rather than self-reflection or implicit bias scores....changes in implicit bias scores do not necessarily result in decreased discriminatory behaviors, making it unclear how these programs can change the quality of care that Black patients experience. To researchers: we need to talk more across disciplines. The way psychologists talk about bias is VERY different from public health folks and clinicians. It's imperative that we think carefully about plausible theoretical mechanisms linking bias and health outcomes. It's the how and the why that matters. In my own area of expertise, reproductive health, I've been incredibly frustrated by the lack of careful thinking about whether and how implicit bias training has the capacity to shift the needle on Black-White inequities in birth outcomes. (My opinion: the chances are little to none at this time but I'd love to be wrong.) I've posted some of our thinking on this topic in the comments. If you're in healthcare leadership, we urge you to explicitly link any proposed trainings to quality improvement efforts and rigorous evaluation efforts. In other words, are these trainings actually improving patient experiences? Treatment patterns? Health outcomes? This is the only way to be clear on whether you're getting a return on your investment. I'd love to hear your thoughts if you've made it to the end of this post! #implicitbias #racism #healthequity #healthdisparities #healthcare #qualityimprovement https://lnkd.in/gxpemzPd