Implicit Bias: What It Means and How It Impacts My Patients

Course Details

Course Description:

Implicit Bias encompasses the attitudes or stereotypes that affect our understanding, actions, and decisions in an unconscious manner. While every individual carries unconscious biases, it is critical to develop self-awareness around our biases as a tool for professional development and to deliver the best care for our patients. This introductory course will allow participants to understand the relevance of implicit bias within the health care setting to develop practices to mitigate the harmful effects on patient care outcomes.

Course Objectives:
At the completion of the course participants will be able to:

• Define implicit bias, unconscious bias, health equity, and race-based health outcomes
• Understand how health equity and justice impact patient care outcomes in primary care and oral health care
• Identify opportunities to foster social justice and equity within one’s dental practice
• Integrate self-awareness of one’s own unconscious bias to improve patient care outcomes and professional growth