Exploring Implicit Bias in Interprofessional Education and Practice

Implicit or unconscious assumptions and biases challenge collaborative work within interprofessional teams and affect health equity for the population. Although pattern recognition is used by all healthcare professionals in their work, the results of assumptions made on the basis of past experience can be a hazard to our patients' health. Women can be undertreated for heart disease, wealthy people may not be tested for HIV or people of certain cultures may be undertreated for pain. Similarly, assumptions about people in specific professional fields may shape the way we interact, limiting the efficacy of our teams.

This webinar will address the definition and science of implicit or unconscious bias, as well as its role in contributing to social determinants of health. We will use case examples to illustrate how unconscious bias affects clinical care, discuss research in this field, present ways to mitigate the effects of unconscious bias in health care including diverse input in clinical decision-making and team care and discuss how these ideas and objectives can be incorporated effectively into interprofessional education.