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Defeating Unconscious Bias: The Role of a Structured, Reflective, and Interactive Workshop
Purpose: To determine if a reflective interactive educational workshop can increase awareness, perceptions, and knowledge regarding unconscious bias
Background: Unconscious or Implicit Bias are universal and have adverse consequences on the workplace, healthcare and the learning environment
Methods: From April 2019-June 2020, a 90-minute educational workshops attended by students, residents and faculty; included 1) pre intervention surveys
2) interactive unconscious bias presentation
3) were shown images of 5 individuals and recorded first impressions regarding trustworthiness and likely profession
4) video using vignettes to demonstrate impact of unconscious bias in the workplace including strategies to counter unconscious biases
5) reflective group discussions and 6) post intervention surveys.
Results: Of approximately 273 participants, 103(38%) completed the surveys with significant increases from the pre to the post intervention assessments for perception scores ( 28.87 [SEM= 0.585] versus 32.73 [0.576], p< 0.001) and knowledge scores (5.68 [0.191] versus 7.22 [0.157], p< 0.001). For a white male physician community advocate covered in tattoos; only 2% correctly identified him as a physician, and 60% felt he was untrustworthy. For a smiling African American woman astronaut, only 13% correctly identified her as an astronaut. Of a brooding white male serial killer, 50% found him trustworthy.
Discussions: An interactive unconscious bias workshop can increase awareness, perceptions, and knowledge in the immediate short term as an initial step in developing an inclusive learning environment. The findings also confirmed inaccurate first impression stereotypical assumptions based on ethnicity; outward appearances, couture, and media influences.
Topics:
CREOG & APGO Annual Meeting, 2021, Student, Resident, Faculty, Clerkship Director, Clerkship Coordinator, Osteopathic Faculty, Residency Director, Residency Coordinator, Professionalism, Interpersonal & Communication Skills, GME, CME, UME, Lecture, Advocacy,
