5.6 Recognize Personal Biases and Stereotypes 

Watch the video and identify possible personal biases and stereotypes that may occur in a clinical setting (hospital, doctor’s office, dental office).

Developing self-awareness and strategies to eliminate biases and provide unbiased care can be done through:

• Recognizing Biases,
• Continuous Education
• Listen Actively and
• Challenge Biases

Once you have self–awareness, this then needs to be applied to operate effectively in diverse teams to work collaboratively with a diverse healthcare team to provide patient-centred care, which requires:

• Clear Communication
• Role Clarification
• Cultural Competence
• Teamwork to put patient care first

Educate yourself and your team about cultural differences and practices that might affect patient care. You can commit to ongoing learning about diversity in healthcare to stay updated on best practices and emerging issues.  Incorporate feedback from diverse patient experiences to enhance future care delivery.

6 Ways You Can Promote Diversity & Inclusion in Your Everyday Life

1. Be an ally
2. Create a sense of belonging
3. Reconsider stereotypes
4. Consider your actions and reactions
5. Consider whose voices are and (aren’t) represented
6. Ask questions and make connections

(The Ad Council, 2018).

What can you do to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace?

• Be aware of unconscious bias
• Communicate the importance of managing bias
• Promote pay equity
• Develop a strategic training program
• Acknowledge holidays of all cultures
• Mix up your teams
• Facilitate ongoing feedback
• Assess company policies

(McClendon, 2022)

Reducing health inequalities means helping to give everyone the same opportunities to be healthy, no matter who they are or where they live. You can work in a number of ways to reduce health inequalities and address the social determinants of health.

Adapted from “Diversity of Patients” by Walton & Darch in DENT-1005: Patient Care Procedures, © Fanshawe College 2023.