Implicit bias is an unconscious attitude, stereotype, or prejudice toward a group of people.1 Our unconscious associations influence our decision-making, behaviors, and relationships. As healthcare professionals, pharmacists and pharmacy technicians meet patients from various backgrounds. To prevent our biases from negatively affecting patient care, we should identity the biases we possess.2
Project Implicit, is a non-profit organization, with a mission to educate the public about unconscious bias. Project Implicit provides a series of Implicit Association Tests (IAT) to help participants identify and measure their level of positive or negative associations in multiple categories such as: race, gender, sexual orientation, weight, etc.3
If you are interested in learning about your unconscious beliefs, check out the IAT here: Project Implicit - Harvard Implicit Association Tests
References
- Terry K, Nickman NA, Mullin S, Ghule P, Tyler LS. Implementation of implicit bias awareness and action training in a pharmacy residency program. Am J Health Syst Pharm. 2022;79(21):1929-1937. doi:10.1093/ajhp/zxac199
- Edgoose JYC, Quiogue M, Sidhar K. How to Identify, Understand, and Unlearn Implicit Bias in Patient Care. Fam Pract Manag. 2019;26(4):29-33.
- https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/takeatest.html
- Azman NBN, Zhou TW, Shorey S. Perceptions of healthcare professionals and students about interventions addressing implicit bias and microaggression: A mixed-studies systematic review. Nurse Educ Pract. 2023;73:103820. doi:10.1016/j.nepr.2023.103820
