Addressing Patient Bias in Healthcare
The development of the DEI playbook was a response to a 2017 Medscape study that revealed healthcare providers were experiencing bias based on age, gender, ethnicity, and weight. In order to ensure that all patients are treated equally and fairly, Penn State Health developed a policy to address instances of bias and discrimination.
Policy Implementation
The policy included language in the patient rights and responsibilities document and an online video with scripting language for addressing bias. In addition, an algorithm was created to determine how to handle cases of bias or discrimination. The policy also included a dismissal playbook to outline how cases of refusal to follow the policy would be handled.
Meetings with members of the family, patient and family advisory councils were conducted, a flyer was created for patients to read, and the message was disseminated in different ways, such as on hold messages.
Cases of Patient Bias
Penn State Health had a case where a patient wanted a different provider based on their race. To address situations like this in the future, a policy and training were created. However, exceptions were made for cases when people have experienced trauma or have religious reasons for wanting a different provider.
Working Towards Racial Concordance
The organization is still working towards addressing the issue of racial concordance in their healthcare system. The process includes convening a meeting with the risk management team, security department, ACM, M, and patient services when incidents of bias occur. A dialogue is also initiated with the patient before any decision is made, and their autonomy is honored. Training is provided on how individuals can make inquiries as to why they don’t feel comfortable receiving care from a certain individual. Furthermore, support is offered to providers who have gone through this trauma.
The Importance of Cybersecurity in Healthcare
In addition to patient bias, healthcare organizations must also be vigilant about cybersecurity. Hackers use a variety of methods, such as exploiting security vulnerabilities, social engineering, and malware, to break into computer systems. To protect against these attacks, security measures like patching, two-factor authentication, and system hardening are necessary.
Note: This is an AI generated transcript, not edited by a staff writer and is solely intended for educational purposes. If you have any questions/concerns, reach out to events@beckershealthcare.com
This panel was live on 04/03/2023 at the event listed here.
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