Course Description:
The emphasis of this course will be on understanding the relationship between racism and health disparities in the United States and how we can play an active role in narrowing the health disparity gap. The first part of the course will involve required readings to educate the participant on health disparities, implicit bias, the (African-American) patient perspective, and osteoarthritis (OA) specific disparities to develop baseline competence on the issue of race and healthcare. Readings will be followed by a required quiz to gauge the clinician’s understanding and retention of the material. The live seminar will include a review of our nation’s history of racism within healthcare, a deeper dive into implicit bias in healthcare professionals, discussion on representation of black, indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) individuals in PT, a review of health disparities, and education on how to reduce bias and improve outcomes. The live seminar will be heavily based on an open and honest discussion regarding race, racism, and how to navigate difficult situations and discussions within our personal and professional circles.Objectives:
At the end of the presentation, participants will be able to:
- describe racial health disparities in America across multiple health conditions
- understand racism in healthcare throughout U.S. history contributes to the current state of health disparities
- identify the difference in Implicit Vs. Explicit Bias, its presence in healthcare, and how it affects outcomes
- describe how disparities in access to healthcare contributes to disparities in health outcomes
- recognize specific disparities resulting in decreased access and utility of rehab services for BIPOC diagnosed with OA
- recognize the gap in representation in PT and health professions and how that affects health outcomes
- understand the clinician’s role in narrowing racial health disparities and develop ideas of how they will make a change in their community
- Teacher: Patrick Ford