Unconscious Bias In Health Care

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When it comes to the interactions between patients and providers, the quality of healthcare services is crucial. Research indicates that it can be harmful and detrimental to a person's health to stereotype patients based on their age, color, weight, socioeconomic position, gender, or other characteristics (USC, 2015). When patients and doctors engage in this kind of stereotyping, they are creating unconscious biases and are unable to look past the apparent demographic traits in one another, which can have detrimental effects. Unintentionally employing unconscious bias by healthcare professionals can lower the standard of treatment, miss diagnoses, end sessions early, and even result in medical blunders. Patients who believe that healthcare professionals are passing judgment on them are unlikely to trust their doctors, which makes it more likely that they won't heed instructions or medical advice. …show more content…

For instance, I have a male acquaintance who works as a nurse. He is frequently mistaken for a doctor or physician. Because most people believe that only women can be nurses, they prefer to label them. The same is true for a female acquaintance of mine who works as a provider. Compared to her male colleagues, she is regarded with less respect. Despite having equal or even higher education than her male colleagues, the majority of patients and even some of her male contemporaries consistently doubt her ability to perform her job. Like anything in society, stereotypes are difficult to dispel, especially when they are unjust and false. Acknowledging the existence of unconscious prejudice and stereotyping is a crucial initial step. It's a process that takes patience and focus. Healthcare personnel can assist dispel prejudices and stereotypes by participating in training and educational programs regarding diversity, sexual orientation, gender identity, and

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