Implicit Bias

New policy adopted by physicians at the American Medical Association's (AMA) Special Meeting of its House of Delegates (HOD) recognizes racism as a public health threat and commits to actively work on dismantling racist policies and practices across all of health care. Racism and biases, implicit or explicit, negatively impact and exacerbate health inequities among historically marginalized communities. Without systemic and structural-level change, health inequities will continue to exist, and the overall health of the nation will suffer.

Implicit bias refers to learned stereotypes and prejudices that operate automatically and unconsciously, while structural racism considers the many ways societies foster racial discrimination through housing, education, employment, media, healthcare, criminal justice, and other systems.

To address implicit bias in Pennsylvania, the OHE is getting ready to deploy a statewide training on the topic to all healthcare professionals.

Principal Standard:

1. Provide effective, equitable, understandable, and respectful quality care and services that are responsive to diverse cultural health beliefs and practices, preferred languages, health literacy, and other communication needs. 
   

• View the Implicit Bias Toolkit
  • The tool kit addresses:
    
    • Bias in Medicine
    • COVID-19
      
    • Maternal and Child Health and Morbidity
    • Life Expectancy
    • LGBTQIA2S+ Health
    • Refugee and Migrant Health

For further information on implicit bias or the toolkit, contact Tensae Getz at c-tgertz@pa.gov .