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Assessing Biases and Discrimination in German Medical Informatics
Michael Rusongoza Muzoora1, Christelle Ngueda Kemda2, Johannes Oehm3
1Berlin Institute of Health at Charité, Germany.
Introduction:
Biases and discrimination in the professional field limit workplace effectiveness by creating environments that stifle productivity and diminish innovation. While recent research on discrimination in public institutions in Germany has gained public traction, empirical evidence within the medical informatics in Germany remains limited. This study aims to provide a first descriptive overview of perceived bias and discrimination experiences among professionals working in medical informatics in Germany.
Methods:
A 33-item anonymous cross-sectional online survey was conducted by the Medical Informatics, Biometrics, and Epidemiology (GMDS) e.V. (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Medizinische Informatik, Biometrie und Epidemiologie (GMDS) e.V.) - Diversity Project Group, targeting individuals working in medical informatics and related fields. Data was collected using REDCap and included demographic information, self-identification with minority groups, and perceptions of biases, discrimination, and fairness through Likert-scale items.
Results:
Among the 96 participants included in the final analysis, 67.4% reported at least occasional experiences of bias or discrimination, with women and minority participants descriptively reporting higher frequencies than their counterparts.
Discussion:
The study provides a first descriptive overview of perceived biases and discrimination by medical informaticians in Germany and establishes a foundation for evidence-based diversity strategies within professional societies and research institutions.
