Learner Feedback
Understand and Prevent Unintended Biases in Patient Care
Learner Feedback
Understand and Prevent Unintended Biases in Patient Care
I enjoyed the course. I learned a lot of new information about how I can be more empathetic to my patients and make them have a better experience. Also, how I can gain their trust. Most valuable was the techniques provided. All healthcare providers should have to undergo this course.
- Physician, Female, White, 30, Conservative, FL
I would highly recommend this course to several medical residency programs. It was an excellent course. What was especially valuable to me were the tips for reducing unconscious bias, specifically, focusing on mindfulness.
- Physician, Female, Black, 40, Liberal, IN
I thought the course was great! It was introductory level and the most valuable aspects of it were the 3 individual examples that hit very close to home and were reminiscent of actual patients I may see in my practice. I do not believe I learned anything new, however the course served as a great refresher on some of the strategies to overcome bias, such as building strong relationships. This course will be very helpful for new healthscare staff in training (especially nurses and hospital technicians, but also physicians and residents in training).
- Physician, Female, Asian, 27, Moderate, SC
This was a great course and an appropriate length of time for the topic at hand. I liked how it started with your most important value. I wasnt expecting that.
- Physician, Female, Black, 29, Liberal, CO
I think the course was great, especially the strategies on preventing and defending against unconscious bias. Some of the information were things that I have already heard about in the past in terms of what unconscious bias is, but the strategies of prevention are things that I was not as familiar with. I think this course would be extremely useful for healthcare staff and providers. It provides information in a way that is easy to understand and the course itself is not very long.
- Physician Assistant, Male, Black, 27, Moderate, TX
Overall, I thought that the course was on par with other courses that I have taken on this subject. However, I thought that this course provided more information on strategies to mitigate implict bias and take care of ourselves as providers. The self-care and emotional shifting was very valuable to me, as it is easy to lose sight of myself during stressful times. I enjoyed that the three characters all had different backgrounds- black, women, and overweight individuals... I think this will be a useful course for staff and providers.
- Physician, Female, Black, 29, Liberal, CO
I thought it was great. What was most valuable were the methods of prevention. This would be useful for healthcare staff and providers.
- Physician Assistant, Male, White, 31, Liberal, TX
I thought the course along with the pdfs were very well structured and to the point while still bringing unconscious bias to the forefront. Most valuable to me were the different anti-bias strategies I havent heard of yet and learning of different unintended side effects of unconscious bias inter-racial anxiety that others and myself might have gone through. I also enjoyed the speech in the optional section...I believe this course will be useful as a reminder of the unconscious biases that everyone goes through.
- Nurse Practitioner, Male, White, 27, Very Liberal, WI
I would highly suggest reaching out to graduate medical education programs and conferences to promote your valuable training program. I think that many physicians and physicians-to-be would benefit from it greatly.
- Physician, Female, Black, 40, Liberal, IN
I loved this course. I think no matter how many courses we do, its always still impactful to learn more. I learned more about patient feelings and I havent really thought about theirs prior. They are still people. This course will defintely be useful for healthcare staff and providers! Its a nice reminder that people are still people, and deserve all kinds of care!
- Nurse Practitioner, Female, White, 25, Conservative, IL
I thought the course was concise and very informative. Learning practical strategies to mitigate these biases was most valuable to me. I didnt learn anything new, because I already took a similar course, but I know it will be very valuable for healthcare staff in the future.
- Nurse Practitioner, Female,, 35, Liberal, LA
It was a very good course. I have taken many courses in the past with similar subject matter, but this one seemed to be user-friendly and engaging. I appreciate the sample scenarios that identified individuals that experienced bias. Those scenarios personalize the training. I found the summary slides were very helpful. They allowed me to see the key points that were applicable. I learned new information - particularly about techniques to avoid implicit bias. I don’t see any glaring areas for improvement - the course was quite polished. I think it will be useful for healthcare providers - it will improve health outcomes. I’ve done training with trauma informed care before - this training dovetails with that - it’s holistic management.
- Physician, Male, White, 42, Moderate, NJ
I thought the course was very informative and useful. I found the case studies and examples most valuable as they painted a picture of how implicit biases may affect patient care. This course is incredibly useful for healthcare staff and providers.
- Physician Assistant, Female, Asian, 28, Liberal, CA
My overall impression of this course is very positive and I believe I learned a lot about myself today. The most valuable part to me was all of it, to remind myself that I am only human and need guidance to do the best job I can everyday. I did learn new information being I wasnt even aware of the unconscious bias and after going through this experience it makes so much sense. I really do not see anything you could do to better this course its easy to follow and it doesnt overwhelm you with tons of information but guides you along the way. I think that every healthcare provider and really all human beings no matter their career can definitely benefit from this course. I loved it and thank you!
- Phlebotomy Manager and Nurse, Female, White, 61, Moderate, AZ
This course was valuable to me because I feel like sometimes I will spend less time talking to a patient who I feel isnt being genuine (for example, drug seeking). I will try to be more understanding because of this course and it is something that will be in the back of my mind at work...The most valuable part of the course to me was the six specific strategies provided in the training so that I have multiple ways I can ensure I am not being unintentionally biased while caring for patients.
- CNA, Female, White, 33, Moderate, FL
The rapid emotional regulation bit stood out for me. I believe taking a step back, stretching, and taking a few deep breaths helps clear the mind which in turn helps you make better decisions when the workload is high. Having a few new ones on hand, like facial stretching and parts of tension release, will definitely help myself and others in times of distress. Also, I was very interested in changing the way I view others behavior and body language after reviewing assume positive intentions.,
- Nurse Practitioner, Male, White, 27, Very Liberal, WI
I felt that using the positive intentions technique is the easiest to implement immediately. It is easy, simple to use, and will improve patient care. I will stop using double standards - again it’s simple to do, and can reframe situations.
I work in a very diverse neighborhood. Im usually very good at providing culturally competent care but going forward, I will try harder not to be judgmental towards our homeless patients. I will also have more patience with aggressive patients that are just looking for a place to sleep.
- Physician, Female, Black, 34, Liberal, NY
When caring for patients, I will make sure that I am putting myself in their shoes and that I am not consciously or unconsciously judging any characteristics about a person or their lifestyle. I will do my best to ensure that I am giving the best care to these patients and taking my time with each patient to really listen to their concerns and make them feel valued. I will stop feeling that some people who often complain of pain may be exaggerating and instead ask for more details about the pain to make sure these details line up and make sense. I will also try to suggest losing weight less to heavier patients and instead try to come up with other ways they can get healthy while also taking care of any medical issues they may have. I will ensure I am not judging anyone under the assumption that a medical problem is related to anxiety or mental health by looking more into more physical issues that could be causing pain or discomfort.
- CNA, Female, White, 33, Moderate, FL
I learned a lot of valuable information. First, I know I try to act unbiased that as I learned from this video that even though I am trying to act unbiased, I can have unconscious stereotypes affected my care. First, before I see my patients I will make sure to relax myself and make sure I am not in a rush or stressed. I will be mindful of my emotional state. Futhermore, I will listen to my patients. I will let them know we are on the same team. I will not judge them. I will try to imagine how someone else of a different ethnicity or race would feel with similar symptoms. I will believe all my patients and not doubt them.
- Physician, Female, White, 30, Conservative, FL
I will attempt to treat each patient as an individual case. Try to focus on the unique items on each case. I will also seek to question what each judgement of mine is and to see how it is an assumption or actually learned information.
- Nurse Practitioner, Female, Asian, 36, Moderate, NY
I will focus on increasing self-awareness, reflecting on my biases, and understanding the cultural backgrounds of my patients. By asking open-ended questions and utilizing evidence-based guidelines, I aim to provide fair and effective treatment. I will stop making assumptions about demographic groups and ensure I listen actively to each patients concerns. Additionally, I am dedicated to ongoing education in cultural competence and unconscious bias. I strive to offer compassionate, patient-centered care that respects individual differences and promotes health equity for all.
- Nurse Practitioner, Female,, 35, Liberal, LA
I will use the information I learned in the course by being more mindful of how I treat patients at work. I will start recognizing why I may treat certain patients differently. If I recognize myself doing this, I will change the way I act so that I can improve patient care for all patients regardless of whatever implicit biases I may have.
- Physician Assistant, Female, Asian, 28, Liberal, CA
I liked the idea that we walk different paths and dont see the world the same, the way it was worded in the course was refreshing. Some strategies I can use include self care, assuming positive intentions, perspective talking, and emotional shifting techniques.
- Nurse Practitioner, Male, White, 42, Moderate, ID
I will be mindful of my own unconscious biases moving forward as a healthcare provider.
- Medical Student, Male, Black, 29, Moderate, PA
I will make sure to listen better to my patients.
- Physician Assistant, Female, White, 38, Liberal, IN
Because I live in a big city, I see a lot of different backgrounds of people. Many types of people walk through the door that we care for. I will now start looking at patients as just people. They were young children once, and regardless of what they look like, they deserve care. Im going to stop being as bias with certain patients.
- Nurse Practitioner, Female, White, 25, Conservative, IL
I work in a very diverse neighborhood. Im usually very good at providing culturally competent care but going forward, I will try harder not to be judgmental towards our homeless patients. I will also have more patience with aggressive patients that are just looking for a place to sleep.
- Physician, Female, Black, 34, Liberal, NY
I will definitely start viewing patients more from a neutral viewpoint. Specifically, I want to treat all patients as if their symptoms are truthful as they are advocates for their own health as well. I will also work on perspective shifting and keeping a positive attitude towards the patient and the visit as a whole. I will make conscious effort to consider the patient and their situation as a whole before making judgements about what is going on with them.
- Physician Assistant, Male, Black, 27, Moderate, TX
I will be using this new information right away. I really think this is an experience all healthcare professionals should complete. I will start checking myself for double standards and skepticism and start assuming positive intentions. I think doing self care is vital and I have let myself stray from doing this. I will start doing my breathing exercises and my meditation everyday even if it is for a few minutes. I will stop stereotyping people upon first meeting them and listen intently about what they are saying as a human being and not what my possible biases are. I will not ever again think what my brain is telling me but what the patient is saying and taking in as seriously as if it were my family. I will try to put myself in their shoes so to speak more often than I do now. I will continue to have the care and compassion that I have had for 36 years but check in with myself and take a reminder course of this learning experience often. I know I have had unconscious bias but I am so happy to learn this so I can apply it everyday.
- Phlebotomy Manager and Nurse, Female, White, 61, Moderate, AZ
I will make sure to take a moment when I am feeling tired and stressed to shift my emotions so I can provide the best care possible. I will imagine my patients are from different backgrounds to see if I might be showing implicit bias.
- Physician, Female, Asian, 29, Liberal, CA
As a female healthcare provider working in psychiatry/mental health spaces, I often find myself having an unconscious bias towards my female and geriatric patients. Instead of taking the time to really hear them out, I tend tot jump the gun and not look deeply into the source for a lot of these populations symptoms such as depression and anxiety. Moving forward, I will do my best to really hear these patients out and practice more listening skills.
I tried to be more patient and more mindful with residents. I tried to take a step back to make sure I wasnt judging someone unconsciously because of gender, race, height, weight, or lifestyle. I tried to ask more questions and get residents to open up more instead of making assumptions.
- Direct Care Professional, Home Health Care Worker, Caregiver, Female, White, 33, Moderate, FL
I know it helped me to treat all people I care for daily with the same respect no matter what their gender, their age , their race is we are all human beings and I never realized that all of us have unconscious bias until this course. Once that I was aware and examined my own thoughts it was apparent. So I am holding myself accountable for not treating elderly people like they are different.
- Nurse (RN, LPN), Female, White, 60, Moderate, AZ
It caused me to evaluate how i interact with my patients and examine biases i may have had.
- Direct Care Professional, Home Health Care Worker, Caregiver, Male, White, 41, Liberal, ID
I became more cognizant of internalized biases regarding patients.
- Medical Student, Male, Black, 29, Moderate, PA
I try to examine my own biases when taking care of difficult or unhoused patients. The same goes for patients that are very different from me as far as race, sexuality, orientation, etc. The course made me think about how Id want to be treated if I was in their position.
- Physician Female, Black, 34, Moderate, NY
Since taking the course, some things have stuck in my mind like taking 3 deep breaths before making a decision. That alone has helped me make more rational and unbiased decisions.
- Direct Care Professional, Home Health Care Worker, Caregiver, Male, White, 27, Very Liberal, WI
I think overall, the course just helped me to look at things from a clear point of view and not pass judgement onto patients. I really treated each patients experience as unique and genuine, and wanted them to feel heard and cared for.
- Nurse Practitioner/Physician Assistant, Male, Black, 27, Moderate, TX
You become more aware of implicit and unconscious biases. You can evaluate and reflect on your actions.
- Physician, Male, White, 42, Moderate, NJ