Bias

I stopped saying “leave your bias at the door”. You know why? Cause you can’t! I can’t either. Today I am reminded that I still need to work on this. I started to interact with a patient who I assumed would be a poor historian, disoriented, and unable to provide some history concerning his condition. As we started to talk, me having to scream in his right ear, with repetition, and patiently wait for his response, I began to realize, he was not a poor historian, he was not confused, and he was spot on in explaining his condition. I was very disappointed in myself. I thought: “Et tu Brutus?”

This is a reminder—for you and for myself—that we all have biases, sometimes make claims without enough evidence, and can leap to conclusions without all the facts. Being human means these things happen. While it’s important to forgive ourselves, we should also strive to acknowledge our own biases and remain open to changing our perspectives.

If healthcare professionals interact with patients without acknowledging their own biases or presume superior knowledge, it contributes to health inequity.

Don’t disregard your personal biases; instead, bring an awareness of them with you. By actively working to transform bias into understanding, you can develop greater appreciation for differences.