Doctors unknowingly favor whites over blacks

In the first study of its kind, researchers have shown that doctors have an unconscious bias in how they view patients, favoring white patients over black patients.

The study, presented Tuesday at the annual meeting of the American Public Health Assn. in San Diego, mirrors other studies that indicate people often have racial biases that they are unaware of, said the lead author of the study, Janice Sabin, acting assistant professor of medical education and biomedical informatics at the University of Washington. Possessing an unconscious bias does not mean people are racist, she said in the presentation. And the study does not imply that an implicit bias will affect healthcare. "This research is too preliminary to know if there is a direct relationship between physicians' implicit, or unconscious, racial attitudes and the quality of medical care."

The data come from a sample of more than 400,000 people who anonymously took a race attitude Implicit Association Test. The test captures subconscious bias by asking people to quickly associate positive or negative words with a series of photographs. (The test can be found on the website of Project Implicit, which is operated by the University of Washington, University of Virginia and Harvard University.)

More than 2,500 test takers identified themselves as doctors. The majority of all physicians of all racial and ethnic groups showed an implicit preference for white Americans compared with black Americans except for black doctors who on average did not favor either group.

Doctors are not the only professionals exhibiting unconscious bias. Such bias is widespread in society, Sabin says. Tests of lawyers and people with doctoral degrees also showed implicit bias.

"People who report they have a medical education are not different from other people, and this kind of unconscious bias is a common phenomenon," she said. "In medical education, we need to include examination of personal attitudes and beliefs in diversity training and continuing medical education to increase self-awareness so that doctors are alert to hidden attitudes and beliefs that may affect care for minority populations."

-- Shari Roan

Photo credit: Steve McAfee/For the Times

Comments

[Janet]

Is this test supposed to be something new? This is old news. Bias and racism are alive and well in this world. And it's not just against Blacks. Everyone has some sort of bias when it comes to other races. I refuse to let bias or racism keep me from doing the things I want and getting ahead in life. People should stop constantly obsessing about race and see people for who they are INSIDE. Adults should take their cues from children. They don't see color, they just see someone they can be friends with.

[Sunya]

I am so sick and tired of racist ignorant white people. guess ingnorance is bliss whether you are a docotor or not and It is always the same damn excuse oh they don't know they are being racist but yet for black people "they always complain" give me a break, if black doctors can remain neutral does that mean they are smarter than those racist white doctors? Although not all white doctors are, I have a wonderful one for many years and feels comfortable with him. In addition, you would think that these doctors would be the first to know that if you remove one's skin pigmentation, underneath all human beings are the same thing.

[R. WILSON]

RACISM...WITH ALL IT'S UGLY ASPECTS AS SATURATED EVERY CORNER OF SOCIETY....AND SADLY.....MAY DOOM US ALL..........

[Prudence]

Isn't it strange....you never hear a black child say they would like to be a doctor when they grow up....... strange. We shouldn't have to go out of our neighborhoods to see a doctor.

[Lewis]

It simply does not surprise me that non-blacks are racially biased against blacks. The End.