Why Bias Matters in Medicine: Qualitative Insights from Anonymous, Online Reports

Jessica P. Cerdeña; Tehreem Rehman; Rachel R. Hardeman

doi:10.1016/j.jnma.2019.10.004

Why Bias Matters in Medicine: Qualitative Insights from Anonymous, Online Reports

Jessica P. Cerdeña, Tehreem Rehman, Rachel R. Hardeman

Health Policy and Management

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

7 Scopus citations

Abstract

Purpose: Bias has been shown to influence the experience and mental health of healthcare professional trainees and faculty in academic medicine. The authors investigated the character and impact of self-reported bias experiences sustained in the academic medical arena that were submitted anonymously online to the website SystemicDisease.com. Method: This qualitative study analyzed 22 narratives submitted online to SystemicDisease.com between September 2015 and March 2017. Both deductive and inductive content analysis was performed, using a combination of a priori axial and open coding. Results: The most commonly reported biases occurred on the basis of race and/or gender. Multiple submitters indicated this bias had influenced or threatened their intended career trajectory. Healthcare professional trainees also expressed altruistic concerns toward other underrepresented individuals as well as toward patients from disadvantaged backgrounds. Conclusion: Racial and gender bias constitute a considerable barrier for trainees and professionals in academic medicine. Institutional awareness of these impacts can inform interventions designed to foster a more inclusive professional climate.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	6-14
Number of pages	9
Journal	Journal of the National Medical Association
Volume	112
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnma.2019.10.004
State	Published - Feb 2020

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
Dr. Hardeman's role in this research was supported by the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute , National Institutes of Health under award numbers R01HL085631 , R01HL085631-S2 , R01HL085631-S3 . Dr. Hardeman is also supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Interdisciplinary Research Leaders program Dr. Hardeman also gratefully acknowledges support from the Minnesota Population Center ( P2C HD041023 ) funded through a grant from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute for Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) .

Funding Information:
Jessica Cerde?a is supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health Policy Research Scholars. Dr. Hardeman's role in this research was supported by the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health under award numbers R01HL085631, R01HL085631-S2, R01HL085631-S3. Dr. Hardeman is also supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Interdisciplinary Research Leaders program Dr. Hardeman also gratefully acknowledges support from the Minnesota Population Center (P2C HD041023) funded through a grant from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute for Child Health and Human Development (NICHD).

Funding Information:
Jessica Cerdeña is supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health Policy Research Scholars .

Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 National Medical Association

Copyright:
Copyright 2020 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.

Keywords

Academic medicine
Bias
Discrimination
Healthcare
Racism
Sexism

Publisher link

10.1016/j.jnma.2019.10.004

Find It

Find It at U of M Libraries

Cite this

@article{ff6476fcf8d04f6ca3f09b1e0d9d5574,

title = "Why Bias Matters in Medicine: Qualitative Insights from Anonymous, Online Reports",

abstract = "Purpose: Bias has been shown to influence the experience and mental health of healthcare professional trainees and faculty in academic medicine. The authors investigated the character and impact of self-reported bias experiences sustained in the academic medical arena that were submitted anonymously online to the website SystemicDisease.com. Method: This qualitative study analyzed 22 narratives submitted online to SystemicDisease.com between September 2015 and March 2017. Both deductive and inductive content analysis was performed, using a combination of a priori axial and open coding. Results: The most commonly reported biases occurred on the basis of race and/or gender. Multiple submitters indicated this bias had influenced or threatened their intended career trajectory. Healthcare professional trainees also expressed altruistic concerns toward other underrepresented individuals as well as toward patients from disadvantaged backgrounds. Conclusion: Racial and gender bias constitute a considerable barrier for trainees and professionals in academic medicine. Institutional awareness of these impacts can inform interventions designed to foster a more inclusive professional climate.",

keywords = "Academic medicine, Bias, Discrimination, Healthcare, Racism, Sexism",

author = "Cerde{\~n}a, {Jessica P.} and Tehreem Rehman and Hardeman, {Rachel R.}",

note = "Funding Information: Dr. Hardeman's role in this research was supported by the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute , National Institutes of Health under award numbers R01HL085631 , R01HL085631-S2 , R01HL085631-S3 . Dr. Hardeman is also supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Interdisciplinary Research Leaders program Dr. Hardeman also gratefully acknowledges support from the Minnesota Population Center ( P2C HD041023 ) funded through a grant from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute for Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) . Funding Information: Jessica Cerde?a is supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health Policy Research Scholars. Dr. Hardeman's role in this research was supported by the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health under award numbers R01HL085631, R01HL085631-S2, R01HL085631-S3. Dr. Hardeman is also supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Interdisciplinary Research Leaders program Dr. Hardeman also gratefully acknowledges support from the Minnesota Population Center (P2C HD041023) funded through a grant from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute for Child Health and Human Development (NICHD). Funding Information: Jessica Cerde{\~n}a is supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health Policy Research Scholars . Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2020 National Medical Association Copyright: Copyright 2020 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.",

year = "2020",

month = feb,

doi = "10.1016/j.jnma.2019.10.004",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "112",

pages = "6--14",

journal = "Journal of the National Medical Association",

issn = "0027-9684",

publisher = "National Medical Association",

number = "1",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Why Bias Matters in Medicine

T2 - Qualitative Insights from Anonymous, Online Reports

AU - Cerdeña, Jessica P.

AU - Rehman, Tehreem

AU - Hardeman, Rachel R.

N1 - Funding Information: Dr. Hardeman's role in this research was supported by the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute , National Institutes of Health under award numbers R01HL085631 , R01HL085631-S2 , R01HL085631-S3 . Dr. Hardeman is also supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Interdisciplinary Research Leaders program Dr. Hardeman also gratefully acknowledges support from the Minnesota Population Center ( P2C HD041023 ) funded through a grant from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute for Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) . Funding Information: Jessica Cerde?a is supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health Policy Research Scholars. Dr. Hardeman's role in this research was supported by the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health under award numbers R01HL085631, R01HL085631-S2, R01HL085631-S3. Dr. Hardeman is also supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Interdisciplinary Research Leaders program Dr. Hardeman also gratefully acknowledges support from the Minnesota Population Center (P2C HD041023) funded through a grant from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute for Child Health and Human Development (NICHD). Funding Information: Jessica Cerdeña is supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health Policy Research Scholars . Publisher Copyright: © 2020 National Medical Association Copyright: Copyright 2020 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.

PY - 2020/2

Y1 - 2020/2

N2 - Purpose: Bias has been shown to influence the experience and mental health of healthcare professional trainees and faculty in academic medicine. The authors investigated the character and impact of self-reported bias experiences sustained in the academic medical arena that were submitted anonymously online to the website SystemicDisease.com. Method: This qualitative study analyzed 22 narratives submitted online to SystemicDisease.com between September 2015 and March 2017. Both deductive and inductive content analysis was performed, using a combination of a priori axial and open coding. Results: The most commonly reported biases occurred on the basis of race and/or gender. Multiple submitters indicated this bias had influenced or threatened their intended career trajectory. Healthcare professional trainees also expressed altruistic concerns toward other underrepresented individuals as well as toward patients from disadvantaged backgrounds. Conclusion: Racial and gender bias constitute a considerable barrier for trainees and professionals in academic medicine. Institutional awareness of these impacts can inform interventions designed to foster a more inclusive professional climate.

AB - Purpose: Bias has been shown to influence the experience and mental health of healthcare professional trainees and faculty in academic medicine. The authors investigated the character and impact of self-reported bias experiences sustained in the academic medical arena that were submitted anonymously online to the website SystemicDisease.com. Method: This qualitative study analyzed 22 narratives submitted online to SystemicDisease.com between September 2015 and March 2017. Both deductive and inductive content analysis was performed, using a combination of a priori axial and open coding. Results: The most commonly reported biases occurred on the basis of race and/or gender. Multiple submitters indicated this bias had influenced or threatened their intended career trajectory. Healthcare professional trainees also expressed altruistic concerns toward other underrepresented individuals as well as toward patients from disadvantaged backgrounds. Conclusion: Racial and gender bias constitute a considerable barrier for trainees and professionals in academic medicine. Institutional awareness of these impacts can inform interventions designed to foster a more inclusive professional climate.

KW - Academic medicine

KW - Bias

KW - Discrimination

KW - Healthcare

KW - Racism

KW - Sexism

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85079072127&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85079072127&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.jnma.2019.10.004

DO - 10.1016/j.jnma.2019.10.004

M3 - Article

C2 - 32044104

AN - SCOPUS:85079072127

SN - 0027-9684

VL - 112

SP - 6

EP - 14

JO - Journal of the National Medical Association

JF - Journal of the National Medical Association

IS - 1

ER -

Why Bias Matters in Medicine: Qualitative Insights from Anonymous, Online Reports

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

Publisher link

Find It

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this