Louisville Medicine Volume 68, Issue 11 | Page 23

“ We were all trained in accredited medical schools . We all have to take the same test . It ’ s not that some physicians get a special lesson that teaches us how to take care of certain patient demographics ,” she said . “ There ’ s the argument that if we diversify in academia , we will have more people interested in taking care of underserved or diverse communities . While that may be true , that can ’ t be the answer . We do not live in a segregated health care system . We should all feel well equipped to provide the best care for all of our patients .”

Dr . White said that culture leads to biases or “ blind spots ” that we don ’ t automatically see because we lack the vantage point . “ We must be aware of our own lens in order to value the lens of someone else ,” she said . “ When we actively value alternative views , we find better solutions because we cover more ground .”

We observe the world through our “ social lens ” and many factors contribute to the way we see things . Our social lens brings through pre-conceptions and prejudices , and how we choose to act on them can influence patient care . The lens of positive intent is consciously choosing to assume that the people you work with have good intentions , that they are performing to the best of their ability , and that they are trying . Cultivate this lens !

In closing , Dr . White discussed how we can move forward and presented the CHARGE ² method of mitigating your own bias .

C : Change your context : is there another perspective that is possible ? H : Be Honest : with yourself , acknowledge and be aware A : Avoid blaming yourself : know that you can do something about it R : Realize when you need to slow down G : Get to know people you perceive as different from you E : Engage : remember why you are doing this E : Empower : your patients and peers

“ Acknowledge that we do all have some biases , but how they are impacting our patients is what we care most about .”

The third session in the series took place on March 11 and focused on communication with speakers Drs . Jennifer Porter and Anita Fernander .

Jennifer Porter , MD is a pediatrician at the Novak Center for Children ’ s Health , an assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of Louisville School of Medicine and is the Chair of the Pediatrics Diversity and Inclusion Excellence Committee . She is also Medical Director at the UofL Early Learning Campus .

Anita Fernander , PhD is an associate professor of behavioral science in the College of Medicine at the University of Kentucky . Her primary focus of teaching is examining the impact of race related stress and the political and social determinants of health and health inequities among African Americans .

The session started with a guide on how we can use communication in practice to provide the patient with a better overall experience . Dr . Porter suggests starting with your front desk staff , making sure that the first face the patient sees is smiling and kind . Once you enter the room , make sure you explain your role as the physician and make sure you ’ re using language the patient can understand .

“ Just introduce yourself . The patient sees so many different faces ,” she said . “ They might not know what attending means , so using language that makes sense is most important . And you have to listen . We ’ re all so pushed to do that 20-minute visit but slowing down and actually listening is important .”

Dr . Fernander also said that on top of listening , providers must also practice a spirit of cultural humility .

“ We really have to be open to different experiences , the lived experiences , of the various types of patient populations that clinicians might be seeing .”

Both speakers stressed that it ’ s important to make sure you understand how the patient would like to be addressed , what pronouns they use , any nicknames they go by and even how to pronounce their name .

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