Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-t5tsf Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-10T08:34:36.619Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Exploring subconscious bias

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 December 2021

K Miu Open the ORCID record for K Miu [Opens in a new window] ,
D Ranford Open the ORCID record for D Ranford [Opens in a new window] ,
C Hopkins ,
Y Karagama  and
P Surda
K Miu*
Affiliation:
Otolaryngology, Guy's and St Thomas’ Hospital, London, UK
D Ranford
Affiliation:
Otolaryngology, Guy's and St Thomas’ Hospital, London, UK
C Hopkins
Affiliation:
Otolaryngology, Guy's and St Thomas’ Hospital, London, UK
Y Karagama
Affiliation:
Otolaryngology, Guy's and St Thomas’ Hospital, London, UK
P Surda
Affiliation:
Otolaryngology, Guy's and St Thomas’ Hospital, London, UK
*
Author for correspondence: Dr Kelvin Miu, Otolaryngology, Guy's and St Thomas’ Hospital, Great Maze Pond, London SE1 9RT, UK E-mail: kelvin.miu@nhs.net
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Background

Implicit biases may lead to subconscious evaluations of a person based on irrelevant characteristics such as race or gender. This audit investigates the presence of implicit bias in the management of patients who missed appointments in our department.

Methods

This study retrospectively analysed discharge rates in 285 patients who missed an out-patient appointment between 1 May 2020 and 1 April 2021 at Guy's and St Thomas’ Hospital. After reading the patients' names, 285 patients were categorised into genders, and ethnic categories of: White British; Black, Asian and minority (non-White) ethnic (‘BAME’); and other White.

Results

There were no differences in discharge rates in terms of self-reported ethnic and gender groups. However, patients perceived as White British were less likely to be discharged when compared to patients perceived as Black, Asian and minority ethnic (35 per cent vs 58 per cent). Discharge rates for perceived gender did not differ.

Conclusion

Implicit bias may influence decision-making regarding whether to rebook a patient after missing an appointment.

Keywords

BiasEthnicityGender
Type
Main Article
Information
The Journal of Laryngology & Otology , Volume 136 , Issue 10 , October 2022 , pp. 961 - 963
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of J.L.O. (1984) LIMITED

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Footnotes

Dr K Miu takes responsibility for the integrity of the content of the paper

*

Joint first authors

References

Fitzgerald, C, Hurst, S. Implicit bias in healthcare professionals: a systematic review. BMC Med Ethics 2017;18:19CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
McKinlay, J, Link, C, Arber, S, Marceau, L, O'Donnell, A, Adams, A. How do doctors in different countries manage the same patient? Results of a factorial experiment. Health Serv Res 2006;41:2182–200CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Burgess, DJ, Crowley-Matoka, M, Phelan, S, Dovidio, JF, Kerns, R, Roth, C et al. Patient race and physicians’ decisions to prescribe opioids for chronic low back pain. Soc Sci Med 2008;67:1852–60Google ScholarPubMed
Bertrand, M, Mullainathan, S. Are Emily and Greg more employable than Lakisha and Jamal? A field experiment on labor market discrimination. Am Econ Rev 2004;94:991–1013CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rooth, DO. Automatic associations and discrimination in hiring: real world evidence. Labour Econ 2010;17:523–34CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Martin, AK, Tavaglione, N, Hurst, S. Resolving the conflict: clarifying “vulnerability” in health care ethics. Kennedy Inst Ethics J 2014;24:51–72CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Public Health England. Local Action on Health Inequalities: Understanding and Reducing Ethnic Inequalities in Health. London: PHE Publications, 2018Google Scholar
Nazroo, JY, Falaschetti, E, Pierce, M, Primatesta, P. Ethnic inequalities in access to and outcomes of healthcare: analysis of the Health Survey for England. J Epidemiol Community Health 2009;63:1022–7CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed