Statement of Partnership and Humility: A Structural Intervention to Improve Equity and Justice in Medical Education.

PROBLEM: Due to generational exposure to the Black Lives Matter movement, other anti-bias social movements, and diverse peer advocacy groups, health professions students are often more knowledgeable than their teachers about ways in which systemic racism and bias have led to scientific inaccuracies that contribute to health inequities. However, traditional hierarchies and concerns about retaliation may limit educational communities from benefiting maximally from students' contributions. APPROACH: In spring 2021, faculty and students at the Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, designed a structural innovation to engage faculty and students in partnership toward decreasing bias in medical education. This article discusses development and implementation of a Statement of Partnership and Humility (SPH) disclosure slide on which faculty acknowledge consideration of potential teaching biases and invite student feedback. OUTCOMES: The initial primary goal of the SPH slide was to increase faculty awareness and engagement in anti-bias topics; however, the unexpected dividends of decreasing faculty anxiety about receiving student feedback and promoting student engagement have proven equally powerful in promoting a healthy, inclusive learning environment. NEXT STEPS: Next steps include gathering qualitative and quantitative data to elicit both faculty and student perspectives on the use of the SPH slide, particularly with regard to psychological safety and openness to feedback.

Racial Implicit Bias and Communication Among Physicians in a Simulated Environment.

Importance: Racial implicit bias can contribute to health disparities through its negative influence on physician communication with Black patients. Interventions for physicians to address racial implicit bias in their clinical encounters are limited by a lack of high-fidelity (realistic) simulations to provide opportunities for skill development and practice. Objective: To describe the development and initial evaluation of a high-fidelity simulation of conditions under which physicians might be influenced by implicit racial bias. Design, Setting, and Participants: This cross-sectional study, performed on an online platform from March 1 to September 30, 2022, recruited a convenience sample of physician volunteers to pilot an educational simulation. Exposures: In the simulation exercise, physicians saw a 52-year-old male standardized patient (SP) (presenting as Black or White) seeking urgent care for epigastric pain, nausea, and vomiting. The case included cognitive stressors common to clinical environments, including clinical ambiguity, stress, time constraints, and interruptions. Physicians explained their diagnosis and treatment plan to the SP, wrote an assessment and management plan, completed surveys, and took the Race Implicit Association Test (IAT) and Race Medical Cooperativeness IAT. The SPs, blinded to the purpose of the study, assessed each physician's communication using skills checklists and global rating scales. Main Outcomes and Measures: Association between physicians' IAT scores and SP race with SP ratings of communication skills. Results: In 60 physicians (23 [38.3%] Asian, 4 [6.7%] Black, 23 [38.3%] White, and 10 [16.7%] other, including Latina/o/x, Middle Eastern, and multiracial; 31 [51.7%] female, 27 [45.0%] male, and 2 [3.3%] other), the interaction of physicians' Race IAT score and SP race was significant for overall communication (mean [SD] ß = -1.29 [0.41]), all subdomains of communication (mean [SD] ß = -1.17 [0.52] to -1.43 [0.59]), and overall global ratings (mean [SD] ß = -1.09 [0.39]). Black SPs rated physicians lower on communication skills for a given pro-White Race IAT score than White SPs; White SP ratings increased as physicians' pro-White bias increased. Conclusions and Relevance: In this cross-sectional study, a high-fidelity simulation calibrated with cognitive stressors common to clinical environments elicited the expected influence of racial implicit bias on physicians' communication skills. The outlined process and preliminary results can inform the development and evaluation of interventions that seek to address racial implicit bias in clinical encounters and improve physician communication with Black patients.

Implementing Public Health Modules as an Approach to Improve Knowledge and Attitudes of Medical Students: A Student-Led, Multiyear Study.

PURPOSE: Public health is a necessary focus of modern medical education. However, while numerous studies demonstrate benefits of public health education during medical school among self-selected students (i.e., those interested in public health), there are few educational models shown to be effective across the general medical student population. This study examined the effect of a multiyear, case-based, longitudinal online public health curriculum required for all medical students at an urban, research-focused U.S. medical school. METHOD: The authors created 11 short public health modules to supplement a year-long, organ-based preclerkship course at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. Beginning in 2020, all students were required to complete these modules, with repeated surveys to assess changes in attitudes and knowledge of public health over time. The authors compared responses for these domains before and after each module, across multiple time points throughout the year, and cross-sectionally to a 2019 cohort of students who were not provided the modules. RESULTS: Across 3 cohorts, 405 of 420 (96.4%) students provided responses and were included in subsequent analyses. After completing the modules, students reported perceiving a greater importance of public health to nearly every medical specialty ( P < .001), more positive attitudes toward public health broadly ( P < .001), and increased knowledge of public health content ( P < .001). These findings were consistent across longitudinal analysis of students throughout the year-long course and when compared to the cohort who did not complete the modules. CONCLUSIONS: Case-based, interactive, and longitudinal public health content can be effectively integrated into the required undergraduate medical education curriculum to improve all medical students' knowledge and perceptions of public health. Incorporating evidence-based public health education into medical training may help future physicians to better address the needs of the communities and populations in which they practice.

The Promise and Perils of Artificial Intelligence in Health Professions Education Practice and Scholarship.

ABSTRACT: Artificial intelligence (AI) methods, especially machine learning and natural language processing, are increasingly affecting health professions education (HPE), including the medical school application and selection processes, assessment, and scholarship production. The rise of large language models over the past 18 months, such as ChatGPT, has raised questions about how best to incorporate these methods into HPE. The lack of training in AI among most HPE faculty and scholars poses an important challenge in facilitating such discussions. In this commentary, the authors provide a primer on the AI methods most often used in the practice and scholarship of HPE, discuss the most pressing challenges and opportunities these tools afford, and underscore that these methods should be understood as part of the larger set of statistical tools available.Despite their ability to process huge amounts of data and their high performance completing some tasks, AI methods are only as good as the data on which they are trained. Of particular importance is that these models can perpetuate the biases that are present in those training datasets, and they can be applied in a biased manner by human users. A minimum set of expectations for the application of AI methods in HPE practice and scholarship is discussed in this commentary, including the interpretability of the models developed and the transparency needed into the use and characteristics of such methods.The rise of AI methods is affecting multiple aspects of HPE including raising questions about how best to incorporate these models into HPE practice and scholarship. In this commentary, we provide a primer on the AI methods most often used in HPE and discuss the most pressing challenges and opportunities these tools afford.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Pediatric Pulmonary Workforce: An Official American Thoracic Society Workshop Report.

Despite growing recognition of the need for increased diversity among students, trainees, and faculty in health care, the medical workforce still lacks adequate representation from groups historically underrepresented in medicine (URiM). The subspecialty field of pediatric pulmonology is no exception. Although there have been efforts to address issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in our own field, gaps persist. To address these gaps, the members of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Advisory Group (DEI-AG) of the American Thoracic Society Pediatrics Assembly created and distributed a Needs Assessment Survey in the United States and Canada to better understand the racial and ethnic demographics of the pediatric pulmonary workforce and to learn more about successes, gaps, and opportunities to enhance how we recruit, train, and retain a diverse workforce. The DEI-AG leadership cochairs convened a workshop to review the findings of the DEI Needs Assessment Survey and to develop strategies to improve the recruitment and retention of URiM fellows and faculty. This Official ATS Workshop Report aims to identify barriers and opportunities for recruitment, training, and career development within the field of pediatric pulmonology. Additionally, we offer useful strategies and resources to improve the recruitment of URiM residents, the mentorship of trainees and junior faculty, and the career development of URiM faculty in academic centers. This Workshop Report is an important first deliverable by the DEI-AG. We hope that this work, originating from within the Pediatrics Assembly, will serve as a model for other Assemblies, disciplines across the ATS, and other fields in Pediatrics.

Implicit bias instruction across disciplines related to the social determinants of health: a scoping review.

One criticism of published curricula addressing implicit bias is that few achieve skill development in implicit bias recognition and management (IBRM). To inform the development of skills-based curricula addressing IBRM, we conducted a scoping review of the literature inquiring, "What interventions exist focused on IBRM in professions related to social determinants of health: education, law, social work, and the health professions inclusive of nursing, allied health professions, and medicine?"Authors searched eight databases for articles published from 2000 to 2020. Included studies: (1) described interventions related to implicit bias; and (2) addressed knowledge, attitude and/or skills as outcomes. Excluded were interventions solely focused on reducing/neutralizing implicit bias. Article review for inclusion and data charting occurred independently and in duplicate. Investigators compared characteristics across studies; data charting focused on educational and assessment strategies. Fifty-one full-text articles for data charting and synthesis, with more than 6568 learners, were selected. Educational strategies included provocative/engagement triggers, the Implicit Association Test, reflection and discussion, and various active learning strategies. Most assessments were self-report, with fewer objective measures. Eighteen funded studies utilized federal, foundation, institutional, and private sources. This review adds to the literature by providing tangible examples of curricula to complement existing frameworks, and identifying opportunities for further research in innovative skills-based instruction, learner assessment, and development and validation of outcome metrics. Continued research addressing IBRM would enable learners to develop and practice skills to recognize and manage their implicit biases during clinical encounters, thereby advancing the goal of improved, equitable patient outcomes.

The use of a primary care provider survey to implement a fall prevention program in an urban hospital system.

BACKGROUND: Falls are the leading cause of traumatic injury in older adults. Multidisciplinary approaches between trauma surgeons and primary care providers can powerfully advocate for fall prevention. This study explores current fall prevention practices and barriers to falls screening and prevention in the primary care setting and proposes pertinent recommendations to address the deficiencies. METHODS: A questionnaire was adapted from a previous survey study to explore the beliefs, knowledge, attitudes, and clinical practice regarding falls by primary care providers. The questionnaire was distributed by e-mail to primary care providers at a tertiary urban medical center. RESULTS: The survey achieved a response rate of 58%. All respondents agreed that older adult patients should be assessed for fall risks and that evidence-based fall prevention programs can reduce the risk of falls. However, 43% of respondents did not agree that they had the expertise to perform fall risk assessments, and similarly 43% did not agree they have the time to perform fall risk assessments in the office. Furthermore, although 52% of respondents were aware of the Medicare reimbursement for fall risk screening, only 24% had billed for fall risk screening and only 5% agreed that they were adequately reimbursed. CONCLUSION: Several barriers to performing fall prevention care in the primary care setting were identified: unfamiliarity with resources, perceived lack of time, and perceived insufficient reimbursement. We implemented a set of interventions which include an educational series and workflow optimization to overcome barriers identified.

Twelve tips for teaching implicit bias recognition and management.

Implicit biases describe mental associations that affect our actions in an unconscious manner. We can hold certain implicit biases regarding members of certain social groups. Such biases can perpetuate health disparities by widening inequity and decreasing trust in both healthcare and medical education. Despite the widespread discourse about bias in medical education, teaching and learning about the topic should be informed by empirical research and best practice. In this paper, the authors provide a series of twelve tips for teaching implicit bias recognition and management in medical education. Each tip provides a specific and practical strategy that is theoretically and empirically developed through research and evaluation. Ultimately, these twelve tips can assist educators to incorporate implicit bias instruction across the continuum of medical education to improve inequity and advance justice.

A Qualitative Study of New York Medical Student Views on Implicit Bias Instruction: Implications for Curriculum Development.

BACKGROUND: For at least the past two decades, medical educators have worked to improve patient communication and health care delivery to diverse patient populations; despite efforts, patients continue to report prejudice and bias during their clinical encounters. Targeted instruction in implicit bias recognition and management may promote the delivery of equitable care, but students at times resist this instruction. Little guidance exists to overcome this resistance and to engage students in implicit bias instruction; instruction over time could lead to eventual skill development that is necessary to mitigate the influence of implicit bias on clinical practice behaviors. OBJECTIVE: To explore student perceptions of challenges and opportunities when participating in implicit bias instruction. APPROACH: We conducted a qualitative study that involved 11 focus groups with medical students across each of the four class years to explore their perceptions of challenges and opportunities related to participating in such instruction. We analyzed transcripts for themes. KEY RESULTS: Our analysis suggests a range of attitudes toward implicit bias instruction and identifies contextual factors that may influence these attitudes. The themes were (1) resistance; (2) shame; (3) the negative role of the hidden curriculum; and (4) structural barriers to student engagement. Students expressed resistance to implicit bias instruction; some of these attitudes are fueled from concerns of anticipated shame within the learning environment. Participants also indicated that student engagement in implicit bias instruction was influenced by the hidden curriculum and structural barriers. CONCLUSIONS: These insights can inform future curriculum development efforts. Considerations related to instructional design and programmatic decision-making are highlighted. These considerations for implicit bias instruction may provide useful frameworks for educators looking for opportunities to minimize student resistance and maximize engagement in multi-session instruction in implicit bias recognition and management.

Does Performance on Evidence-Based Medicine and Urgent Clinical Scenarios Assessments Deteriorate During the Fourth Year of Medical School? Findings From One Institution.

PURPOSE: The fourth year of medical school (M4) should prepare students for residency yet remains generally unstructured, with ill-defined goals. The primary aim of this study was to determine whether there were performance changes in evidence-based medicine (EBM) and urgent clinical scenarios (UCS) assessments before and after M4 year. METHOD: University of Michigan Medical School graduates who matched into internship at Michigan Medicine completed identical assessments on EBM and UCS at the beginning of M4 year and 13 months later during postgraduate year 1 (PGY1) orientation. Individual scores on these assessments were compared using paired t test analysis. The associations of academic performance, residency specialty classification, and initial performance on knowledge changes were analyzed. RESULTS: During academic years 2014 and 2015, 76 students matched into a Michigan Medicine internship; 52 completed identical EBM stations and 53 completed UCS stations. Learners' performance on the EBM assessment decreased from M4 to PGY1 (mean 93% [SD = 7%] vs. mean 80% [SD = 13%], P < .01), while performance on UCS remained stable (mean 80% [SD = 9%] vs. mean 82% [SD = 8%], P = .22). High M4 performers experienced a greater rate of decline in knowledge level compared with low M4 performers for EBM (-20% vs. -4%, P = .01). Residency specialty and academic performance did not affect performance. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated degradation of performance in EBM during the fourth year and adds to the growing literature that highlights the need for curricular reform during this year.

Veteran-centred content in medical education.

BACKGROUND: Veterans have unique experiences that warrant special consideration in health care. Unfortunately, training in veteran-centred care has not been a clear focus of medical education, and only a very small proportion of medical schools include military cultural competency in their curricula. METHODS: We conducted an 80-minute focus group with six US veterans. Open-ended questions were used to elicit their perceptions of the health care that they receive, and how it can be improved. The audio-recording was transcribed verbatim and coded for thematic content. A phenomenological analytic approach was used to analyse the 31-page transcript and arrive at the final themes. RESULTS: Former service members from various periods of conflict (e.g. World War II, Vietnam, Persian Gulf) offered key insights about how to improve veterans' health care experiences. Veterans suggested that consideration of their previous military service would improve care. They lamented that the lack of military consciousness is a barrier to care. Finally, they suggested that clinicians pay close attention to the transition from service member to civilian, as reintegration to civilian life is a critical life experience. Training in veteran-centred care has not been a clear focus of medical education DISCUSSION: Veteran-centred care ensures optimal health care through ease of access to services, and through positive patient-provider interactions. Being aware of military culture can help providers to contextualise veterans' experiences and beliefs about health care seeking and illness management, particularly for invisible wounds of war, including traumatic brain injury (TBI) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

How to Make or Break Implicit Bias Instruction: Implications for Curriculum Development.

PURPOSE: To analyze faculty experiences regarding facilitating discussions as part of the institution's curriculum on racial and ethnic implicit bias recognition and management. METHOD: Between July 2014 and September 2016, the authors conducted 21 in-depth interviews with faculty who had experience teaching in implicit bias instruction or were interested in facilitating discussions related to implicit bias and the Implicit Association Test. Grounded theory methodology was used to analyze interview transcripts. RESULTS: Participants identified challenges that affect their ability to facilitate instruction in implicit bias. Faculty described the influence of their own background and identities as well as the influence of institutional values on their ability to facilitate implicit bias discussions. They noted the impact of resistant learners and faculty during discussions and made suggestions for institutional measures including the need for implementation of formalized longitudinal implicit bias curricula and faculty development. CONCLUSIONS: Faculty facilitating sessions on implicit bias must attend faculty development sessions to be equipped to deal with some of the challenges they may face. Buy-in from institutional leadership is essential for successful implementation of implicit bias teaching, and medical educators need to consider formalized longitudinal curricula addressing the recognition and management of implicit biases.

Assessing Residents' Veteran-Centered Care Skills in the Clinical Setting.

BACKGROUND: Despite their placement in Veterans Health Administration centers nationwide, residents' training and assessment in veteran-centered care is variable and often insufficient. OBJECTIVE: We assessed residents' ability to recognize and address mental health issues that affect US military veterans. METHODS: Two unannounced standardized patient (SP) cases were used to assess internal medicine residents' veteran-centered care skills from September 2014 to March 2016. Residents were assessed on 7 domains: military history taking, communication skills, assessment skills, mental health screening, triage, and professionalism, using a 36-item checklist. After each encounter, residents completed a questionnaire to assess their ability to recognize knowledge deficits. Residents' mean scores were compared across training levels, between the 2 cases, and by SP gender. We conducted analysis of variance (ANOVA) tests to analyze mean performance differences across training levels and descriptive statistics to analyze self-assessment questionnaire results. RESULTS: Ninety-eight residents from 2 internal medicine programs completed the encounter and 53 completed the self-assessment questionnaire. Residents performed best on professionalism (0.92 ± 0.20, percentage of the maximal score) and triage (0.87 ± 0.17), and they scored lowest on posttraumatic stress disorder (0.52 ± 0.30) and military sexual trauma (0.33 ± 0.39). Few residents reported that they sought out training to enhance their knowledge and skills in the provision of services and support to military and veteran groups beyond their core curriculum. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that additional education and assessment in veteran-centered care may be needed, particularly in the areas of posttraumatic stress disorder and military sexual trauma.