Develop self-awareness about implicit biases, particularly when experiencing higher clinical demands related to COVID-19, via administration of the Implicit Associations Test (Ratliff et al., 2011; https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/index.jsp) or increased observation of discomfort around particular pediatric groups Seek out perspective taking and emotional regulation training to manage implicit biases that may be negatively impacting the quality of care of pediatric patients and their families Appreciate that implicit bias is difficult to change and develop a same-team focus when caring for marginalized pediatric populations (Burgess et al., 2007)
|
| Institutional/organizational level |
Invest in quality improvement methods (e.g., decision trees, clinical audits, process mapping) that continually provide feedback regarding clinical interactions with youth and families that may be susceptible to implicit biases from providers (Rapheal & Oyeku, 2020) Encourage patient advocacy in improving clinical care via open communication with pediatric patients and their families (i.e., family advisory councils) Enhance the utilization of community resources that reduce barriers to access quality health care for pediatric patients and their families in need of additional services. Develop a culture of open communication about provider implicit bias and microaggressions without fear of retaliation
|
| Educational level |
Provide annual hospital-wide implicit bias training for all employees who have direct contact/communication with pediatric patients and their families Integrate perspective taking and empathy building trainings within medical school and clinical rotations in pediatric hospital settings (Burgess et al., 2007) Reinforce implicit bias training and encourage emotional regulation strategies (e.g., mindfulness, mediation, etc.) when trainees interact with pediatric patients and families who are dissimilar in social group (e.g., race, ethnicity, age, gender, and SES) via clinical supervision discussions about discomfort or potential normative implicit biases
|
| Scientific/research level |
Use appropriate operationalized definitions of implicit bias in pediatric research and rigorously evaluate the effectiveness of interventions targeting this construct. Continuous feedback from participants on the methodology and outcomes may help reduce any potential bias within the study Focus on implicit bias outcomes in pediatric populations due to the lack of research within this population Incentivize research dedicated to the impact of bias on pediatric health outcomes, particularly in populations who have access needs, through improving funding mechanisms within the context of COVID-19 Encourage the development of interventions to address implicit bias in health care through the inclusion of the impact of bias within the mission of the National Institutes of Health and other research organizations specifically in pediatric populations
|
