Unveiling Unconscious Biases by Bridging the Gap in Global Healthcare Training
Bodyswaps has received an invitation to collaborate with AAP on a significant project: the development of a VR module as an integral component of their GHEARD (Global Health Education Equity, Anti-Racism, and Decolonization) training program. The primary objective of this module is to establish a psychologically secure environment where healthcare professionals can actively engage with and examine their implicit biases and underlying motivations. By doing so, participants can cultivate a deeper self-awareness and understanding before embarking on global health experiences, ultimately promoting a more inclusive and equitable healthcare environment.
The Experience
In this immersive simulation, learners’ step into the shoes of a trainee gearing up for a transformative global healthcare experience in a Low/Middle Income Country (LMIC). Through this powerful experience, participants are guided to:
Recognize and Confront Implicit Bias: By navigating real-world scenarios, learners are prompted to recognize, reflect on, and effectively address implicit biases that may unconsciously influence their actions and decisions in a global health context.
Prepare for Critical Conversations: This training equips individuals to engage in vital, albeit potentially uncomfortable, discussions about issues such as inequity, racism, systems of oppression, structural violence, and the enduring legacies of colonialism and neo-colonialism. These conversations are essential for fostering understanding, empathy, and ultimately, meaningful change in the realm of global healthcare.
The Importance of Equity and Anti-Racism in Global Healthcare:
- Promoting Fairness: Equity ensures that healthcare resources and opportunities are distributed fairly among all individuals, regardless of their background or location. Anti-racism aims to eradicate racial disparities, ensuring that all racial and ethnic groups have equal access to healthcare services.
- Enhancing Health Outcomes: Equity and anti-racism efforts contribute to improved health outcomes by addressing the root causes of health disparities. By reducing barriers to healthcare access and addressing systemic racism, individuals from marginalized communities can enjoy better health.
- Ensuring Inclusivity: Embracing diversity and promoting anti-racism practices make healthcare services more inclusive. This leads to culturally sensitive care that respects patients’ backgrounds, beliefs, and values.
- Building Trust: Anti-racism and equity initiatives build trust between healthcare providers and communities. When individuals perceive that the healthcare system is committed to fairness and anti-discrimination, they are more likely to seek care and follow medical advice.
- Global Health Impact: Addressing equity and anti-racism in global healthcare is essential for achieving global health goals. It ensures that resources are allocated efficiently and that vulnerable populations are not left behind in efforts to improve health worldwide.
- Human Rights: Equity and anti-racism are fundamental human rights principles. Everyone has the right to access healthcare without discrimination based on race, ethnicity, or any other characteristic.
- Social Justice: These principles are aligned with broader social justice goals. By challenging systemic racism and promoting equity, global healthcare contributes to a more just and equitable world.
- Sustainable Development: Equity and anti-racism are integral to sustainable development. They support efforts to reduce poverty, inequality, and social exclusion, which are central to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
- Ethical Imperative: It is an ethical imperative to address health disparities caused by racism and inequity. Healthcare professionals and organizations have a moral duty to work towards a more just and equitable healthcare system.
- Preparedness for Crises: Equity and anti-racism efforts enhance the resilience of healthcare systems, making them better prepared to respond to crises, such as pandemics. They ensure that resources are distributed based on need rather than social determinants.
Who will Benefit from This Training?
- Healthcare Providers: Doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals can provide more effective care when they are trained in equity and anti-racism principles. This benefits both providers and patients.
- Patients: Individuals from marginalized communities and racial or ethnic minorities benefit from receiving equitable and non-discriminatory healthcare services. It ensures they receive proper treatment and care.
- Healthcare Organizations: Hospitals, clinics, and healthcare systems that prioritize equity and anti-racism can enhance their reputation, build trust, and provide higher-quality care, leading to better patient outcomes.
- Educational Institutions: Medical schools, nursing programs, and other healthcare education institutions can produce graduates who are more culturally competent and equipped to address health disparities.
- Policy Makers: Policymakers at the local, national, and international levels benefit from promoting equity and anti-racism in healthcare. It supports the development of fair and effective healthcare policies.
- Global Health Organizations: Organizations working in global health, such as the World Health Organization (WHO), can drive efforts to reduce health disparities and improve health outcomes on a global scale.
- Researchers: Researchers studying healthcare disparities, health outcomes, and social determinants of health can contribute to a growing body of knowledge that informs equitable healthcare practices.
- Community Advocates: Activists and community organizations focused on healthcare justice and anti-racism benefit from promoting equity in healthcare to address systemic issues.
- Government Health Agencies: Public health agencies have a role in implementing equity-focused policies and initiatives to improve the health of populations.
- Businesses and Employers: Companies and employers benefit from healthier, more productive employees. Prioritizing equity and anti-racism in healthcare can lead to a more diverse and inclusive workforce.
- Global Society: Equity and anti-racism in global healthcare contribute to a more just, inclusive, and healthier world for all. It aligns with broader social justice and human rights goals.
- Vulnerable Populations: Those who are most affected by healthcare disparities, including racial and ethnic minorities, low-income individuals, and marginalized communities, benefit the most from equity and anti-racism efforts.
• Future Generations: By addressing healthcare disparities and promoting anti-racism, we create a better healthcare system for future generations, ensuring they receive more equitable care.