Dr. Reeves
Another common bias in medicine is related to assumptions about who is a good fit for certain specialties. Example: The specialty of pediatrics is typically associated with someone who is good with kids and nurturing. This understanding may lead many people to associate women with the field of pediatrics.
Status quo bias may affect who you traditionally see as a physician in a certain specialty. Dr. Reeves says, “But when you go back one or two steps, you [should] ask, ‘What role did bias play in why the [hiring] pool looks like it does?’”
A diverse workforce for an organization, hospital or healthcare system will help enrich its understanding of disease and allow everyone to take better care of patients, Dr. Hausmann says.
Dr. Reeves also notes the importance of a diverse workforce within medicine so that patients can relate to their providers, which may potentially increase patient satisfaction and treatment adherence.
Understanding Patient Pain
One area specific to rheumatology Dr. Hausmann and Dr. Reeves discussed was the perception of pain by doctors and how it relates to implicit bias. Dr. Reeves gave the example of women of color—especially those from immigrant backgrounds—who refuse to say they are in pain, even if they are currently hurting.
Dr. Hausmann
More follow-up questions, such as, “Are you in pain, and you’re just putting up with it? Or are you not in pain?” may help pinpoint what’s really happening. This probing can help determine what’s going on beyond what a patient says initially, enabling physicians to accurately tailor treatments. This approach is in contrast to making assumptions about pain based solely on a patient’s initial comments or actions.
Dr. Reeves recalls her own perception of pain based on her parents, both of whom were immigrants and physicians. They insisted that she go to school even if she wasn’t feeling well. They would say, “Can you stand? Are you bleeding? If you can stand and you’re not bleeding, go to school.”
