Mitigating Bias in Feedback in the Emergency Department

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Healthcare Bias
• Emergency Medicine Training

Background:

• Bias in learner feedback impacts assessment, opportunities, and well-being.
• Inequities in feedback can affect patient care and team dynamics.
• Addressing bias is essential for equitable medical training.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore practical strategies for recognizing and mitigating bias in emergency department (ED) feedback.
• To foster more equitable assessments and enhance learner development in the ED.
• To provide actionable insights for both individual educators and educational leaders.

Main Methods:

• Review of strategies for identifying implicit and explicit bias in feedback.
• Discussion of practical approaches for real-time verbal and written evaluations.
• Consideration of implementation by individual educators and programmatic assessment systems.

Main Results:

• Identification of key areas where bias can manifest in learner feedback.
• Presentation of actionable strategies for educators to mitigate bias.
• Emphasis on the dual role of individual educators and leadership in creating equitable systems.

Conclusions:

• Mitigating bias in feedback is critical for fair learner assessment and development.
• Implementing practical strategies can lead to more equitable training experiences.
• Reducing bias in feedback ultimately supports better patient care and team collaboration.