Pyle, Joan
(2024)
Bias Against Black Women: A Review of the Effects of Bias Within the Healthcare Setting.
Master Essay, University of Pittsburgh.
Abstract
Black women have historically suffered from unequal treatment throughout the healthcare system when compared to their White counterparts, and they continue to face varying forms of opposition when seeking care across healthcare settings. Specifically, Black women are dying at higher rates, not establishing relationships with physicians, and receiving insufficient pain management. Factors contributing to this unequal treatment include implicit bias, lack of resources, insufficient research, and the teaching of inaccurate medical studies. This essay focuses on bias's impact on the care rendered to Black women. Bias refers to the tendency to favor one group over another. Bias can be both implicit and explicit. Implicit bias can be defined as an individual unintentionally using generalizations about a particular group that result in categorizations that are rooted in bias. Explicit bias is based on a person's conscious thoughts and behaviors.
Implicit bias can be hard to identify because when you ask someone a straight-out bias question, they will likely respond in opposition to the intended bias. Explicit bias is an outward expression of biased viewpoints. However, these individuals may not realize that they are perpetuating their unconscious generalization to others. In the end, it will be apparent that clinicians’ biases create unwelcoming environments for Black women to seek help. Bias can be mitigated if healthcare systems address the bias their providers may perpetuate. Some ways in which hospitals can help to resolve some of the bias within the healthcare setting include increasing the quality of care given to Black women, holding training for providers to learn how to communicate with their patients effectively, and teaching them how to listen actively. Moreover, there needs to be hospital standards that address the varying treatment being given to Black patients versus White patients. Hospitals must implement ways to help providers identify and resolve their biases.
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Details
| Item Type: |
Other Thesis, Dissertation, or Long Paper
(Master Essay)
|
| Status: |
Unpublished |
| Creators/Authors: |
|
| Contributors: |
| Contribution | Contributors Name | Email | Pitt Username | ORCID  |
|---|
| Committee Chair | Hershey, Tina | tbh16@pitt.edu | tbh16 | UNSPECIFIED | | Committee Co-Chair | Adelson, Bruce | bla22@pitt.edu | bla22 | UNSPECIFIED |
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| Date: |
21 May 2024 |
| Date Type: |
Completion |
| Submission Date: |
19 April 2024 |
| Access Restriction: |
No restriction; Release the ETD for access worldwide immediately. |
| Number of Pages: |
48 |
| Institution: |
University of Pittsburgh |
| Schools and Programs: |
School of Public Health > Health Policy & Management |
| Degree: |
MPH - Master of Public Health |
| Thesis Type: |
Master Essay |
| Refereed: |
Yes |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: |
n/a |
| Date Deposited: |
21 May 2024 14:51 |
| Last Modified: |
21 May 2024 14:51 |
| URI: |
http://d-scholarship.pitt.edu/id/eprint/46214 |
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