The Impact of an Interactive Unconscious Bias Training on Perioperative Learners.

Background: Providers' unconscious biases reinforce health disparities through negative direct patient care and interactions with colleagues. Objective: We created a workshop grounded in Critical Race Theory and the importance of different intersectionalities to improve medical trainees' self-assessment of their implicit biases in curated facilitated spaces. Methods: A total of 44 UCSF first-year clinical anesthesiology residents (CA-1) (95% response rate) and 23 surgery residents in their research year (77% response rate) participated in this workshop over 4 separate sessions in September 2020 and 2021. Quantitative data from a pre-/post-workshop survey was analyzed via a paired t test to evaluate our workshop's effectiveness. Feedback on efficacy was obtained by coding themes from our survey's open-ended questions. Results: The workshop was evaluated positively by a total of 65 of 67 participants in the post-workshop survey. On a 5-point Likert scale, participants self-reported they agreed that their unconscious biases affect their clinical interactions from a pre-workshop mean of 3.3 (SD ± 1.32) to a post-workshop mean of 3.9 (SD ± 0.87, P = .008). Conclusion: Our findings suggest that this workshop was effective for perioperative residents and can be extrapolated to all residents by tailoring the workshop to their respective work environments.

Lessons learned from implementing a diversity, equity, and inclusion curriculum for health research professionals at a large academic research institution.

Objective: Despite advances in incorporating diversity and structural competency into medical education curriculum, there is limited curriculum for public health research professionals. We developed and implemented a four-part diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) training series tailored for academic health research professionals to increase foundational knowledge of core diversity concepts and improve skills. Methods: We analyzed close- and open-ended attendee survey data to evaluate within- and between-session changes in DEI knowledge and perceived skills. Results: Over the four sessions, workshop attendance ranged from 45 to 82 attendees from our 250-person academic department and represented a mix of staff (64%), faculty (25%), and trainees (11%). Most identified as female (74%), 28% as a member of an underrepresented racial and ethnic minority (URM) group, and 17% as LGBTQI. During all four sessions, attendees increased their level of DEI knowledge, and within sessions two through four, attendees' perception of DEI skills increased. We observed increased situational DEI awareness as higher proportions of attendees noted disparities in mentoring and opportunities for advancement/promotion. An increase in a perceived lack of DEI in the workplace as a problem was observed; but only statistically significant among URM attendees. Discussion: Developing applied curricula yielded measurable improvements in knowledge and skills for a diverse health research department of faculty, staff, and students. Nesting this training within a more extensive program of departmental activities to improve climate and address systematic exclusion likely contributed to the series' success. Additional research is underway to understand the series' longer-term impact on applying skills for behavior change.

Tools for Addressing Microaggressions: An Interactive Workshop for Perioperative Trainees.

Introduction: Graduate trainees from diverse backgrounds may experience discrimination, mistreatment, and microaggressions. While the ability to identify and respond to microaggressions is a much-needed skill for all emerging trainees, limited training workshops exist for residents, especially within perioperative medicine. To embody the principles of diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racism (DEIA), we aimed to empower trainees in the perioperative environment with several strategies for addressing microaggressions to bridge this training gap. Methods: Based on critical race theory, transformative learning, minority stress theory, and the structural theory of gender and power, this workshop was developed with the primary aim of educating trainees on microaggressions, amplifying the role of allyship, and providing tools to respond to microaggressions as an ally. We used a mixed methods approach to examine participants' pre/post self-evaluations of microaggression intervention tools and the overall effectiveness of the workshop. Results: The postsurvey captured the experiences of 54 trainees, including 37 of 44 (84%) first-year clinical anesthesia residents and 14 of 24 (58%) surgery residents. The facilitator and course feedback was remarkably positive. Paired t test analyses on participants' pre- and postsurvey responses demonstrated a statistically significant increase in knowledge of microaggressions. This workshop also significantly increased learners' self-reported tools for responding to microaggressions. Discussion: Overall, these promising findings suggest that the strategies presented in this workshop could be applied across other graduate medical education programs. Institutions may wish to customize workshop elements, such as the case scenarios, and the workshop can also be incorporated within a DEIA curriculum.