How to Make or Break Implicit Bias Instruction: Implications for Curriculum Development.

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Social Psychology
• Health Equity

Background:

• Implicit bias significantly impacts healthcare delivery and patient outcomes.
• Effective strategies for recognizing and managing implicit bias are essential in medical education.
• Faculty experiences in facilitating discussions on sensitive topics like implicit bias require further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze faculty experiences in facilitating discussions on racial and ethnic implicit bias recognition and management within an institutional curriculum.
• To identify challenges and facilitators influencing faculty's ability to teach implicit bias.
• To gather faculty recommendations for improving implicit bias education.

Main Methods:

• Grounded theory methodology was employed to analyze data.
• 21 in-depth interviews were conducted with faculty involved in implicit bias instruction.
• Interviews focused on experiences with implicit bias discussions and the Implicit Association Test.

Main Results:

• Faculty cited personal background, identity, and institutional values as key influences on their facilitation.
• Resistance from learners and peers presented significant challenges during discussions.
• Faculty emphasized the need for formalized, longitudinal curricula and dedicated faculty development.

Conclusions:

• Faculty require specific training (faculty development) to effectively address challenges in implicit bias discussions.
• Institutional leadership support is vital for successful implementation of implicit bias education.
• Formalized, longitudinal curricula are recommended for comprehensive implicit bias recognition and management training.