Self-reported impacts one year after a brief health equity/implicit bias course for academic clinicians.

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore whether there were lasting effects of brief implicit bias education on clinicians' teaching and practice one year after taking the course and whether implicit and explicit bias was associated with self-reported impact of the course.

Method: This was a mixed-method study. We followed up with a sample of 119 academic clinicians who completed the baseline study December 2019. Recruitment for the current study was conducted between December 2020 and March 2021. Participants responded online to survey questions about whether the course had an impact on their teaching and practice. We categorized qualitative responses to these questions using Prochaska & DiClemente's Stages of Change Model of Behavior Change. Implicit and explicit race and gender bias data were collected at baseline.

Results: Response rate was 47.1% (N=56). Participants were 64.3% female, 66.1% White, 67.9% were Medical Doctors (MD) and 82.1% work in an academic healthcare system. Overall, we found slight implicit pro-White bias (mean= 0.27, SD 0.45, p=<0.001) and male-career gender bias (mean= 0.33, SD 0.31, p=<0.001). Across all four questions 42 unique participants (75.0%) responded to at least one question reporting, " yes", the course had an impact on their teaching/mentoring and or practice. Thirty-five (62.5%) participants reported that the course had an impact on their teaching and 23 (41.4%) reported an impact on their clinical practice. Participants reported 35 instances of increased bias awareness and 47 instances of actions taken due to the course. Those who reported no impact of the course on teaching held no implicit race bias, while those who reported actions taken held moderate implicit Pro-White bias.

Conclusions: This study found that the majority of study participants reported lasting effects of the course on their teaching and/or practice. Brief implicit bias education can impact clinicians' teaching and practice. .