Highlights:

• In 2015, a group of researchers conducted a literature review to understand the pervasiveness of and impacts of implicit bias. Through the review, the team was able to conclude at least moderate implicit bias in most medical providers. The Implicit Association Test, which measures implicit bias, detected about equal bias across Black, Latinx, and dark-skinned patients.

• In healthcare, implicit bias can shape the way medical providers interact with patients. Because everyone is susceptible to implicit bias, even clinicians, these unconscious preconceptions will naturally seep into patient-provider communication.

• The researchers did specifically acknowledge that most clinicians are committed to providing excellent medical care to all of their patients, regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, or ability to pay. But again, since nobody is immune to implicit bias, it is at play in many medical encounters. 

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