Facing Biases

Healthcare providers have biases which inform the treatment options their patients receive. These biases come from patient race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, gender, and health status. Motivational Interviewing (MI) is a possible approach to reduce the impact of these biases. MI is a value-neutral collaboration between patient and provider. The provider acts as a guide, keeping the conversation focused on the patient and encouraging them to delve deeper into their beliefs. Viewing the image, a single face can be seen. Yet, it is composed of different people of various backgrounds. The value of a patient's experiences cannot always be seen when looking at them. This is when providers bias their treatment of patients by what is seen solely on the outside. With this image, it is difficult to not spend time examining an individual and wonder about their values and experiences. I intend to address this type of treatment through examining the impact of biases through training pre-health professional students in MI. The individuals represented in this photo are pre-health professional students trained in MI. These future health professionals have the knowledge and skills to help combat the influence of biases from provider to patient.