Insight from the Author I have a few stereotypes that can be attached to me. Not only am I a female, but I am also a military spouse, and at the time of the incident I am about to describe, I was in my mid-twenties. While stationed overseas, I had an appointment with an on-base provider at the military base on a Tuesday. I casually mentioned that my stomach had been hurting for a few days. The provider immediately told me that I should seek help from a psychologist. I told the provider that even though my husband was gone a lot and I had a child, I did not feel anxious and thought that was not the cause of my stomach pain. Again, I was told to see a psychologist, and my stomach pain complaint was otherwise ignored. My stomach pain increased throughout the week, and I noticed my abdomen was becoming bloated. By Friday, I felt so constipated, I was so bloated I could no longer button my jeans, the pain was an 8 out of 10, and I had begun vomiting. Friday evening, I finally went to the emergency department. A CAT scan showed swelling throughout my descending and sigmoid colon, though the cause could not yet be determined. I was treated with fluids, pain medication, and antibiotics. Because I was a nurse, I could go home with oral medications after finishing the intravenous medications. The following Monday, I had a follow-up with the same provider, who had told me to "see a psychologist" the previous week. He walked in, looked at my chart, looked at me, and then stated, “I am going to make a call to the GI provider.” I could tell by his look that he knew he had been wrong the previous week, but I never received an apology or an admission of his mistake. I learned from the GI provider that I was the second case just like this he had seen in the past month. I never found out if there were more. The entire fiasco ended after a few weeks with antibiotics and a procedure to ensure it was not cancer. I still wonder if that ordeal could have been prevented had the original provider taken my complaint seriously. Ableism Researchers have seen evidence that healthcare providers may push decisions based on implicit and explicit bias in clinical treatment that increase avoidance in treating individuals with disabilities. Occupational therapy students were found to have heightened biases toward individuals with disabilities, and behavioral analysts had negative biases toward children diagnosed with autism (Kelly & Mental Illness Implicit biases wield a substantial impact on the care provided to individuals with mental illness (Merino et al., 2018). Unconscious prejudices held by healthcare providers can significantly shape diagnostic assessments, therapeutic decisions, and patient interactions. Consequently, these biases contribute to unequal distribution of resources, misdiagnoses, and compromised treatment quality. People Body Weight Skinner and colleagues (2017) found that implicit biases toward obesity start in children as young as 9. People who are obese in childhood may be affected by biases that are seen with bullying, mocking, lack of friends, and acceptance to participate in games and sports. Biases toward body
Now what is the impact of my story? My story highlights the significant consequences of implicit biases in healthcare settings. As a female military spouse in her mid-twenties, I faced a situation where my healthcare provider's implicit biases influenced the quality of care I received. The provider's immediate suggestion to see a psychologist when I mentioned stomach pain exemplifies the stereotyping that can occur based on certain characteristics or life circumstances. The impact of the provider's implicit bias in this real-life story includes: Delayed Diagnosis and Treatment: The provider's dismissal of my stomach pain as a psychological issue rather than a medical concern led to a delayed diagnosis and treatment. This delay allowed my condition to worsen, resulting in increased pain, bloating, and vomiting. Emotional Distress: Not being taken seriously by my healthcare provider can lead to emotional distress and frustration. Feeling unheard and misunderstood can be disheartening, particularly when seeking medical help for a genuine health concern. Medical Consequences: The delay in diagnosis and treatment may have had consequences for my health. The swelling in my descending and sigmoid colon required intervention and antibiotics to resolve the issue, potentially leading to unnecessary pain and suffering. Lack of Accountability: Despite the obvious mistake in dismissing my symptoms as psychological, the provider did not apologize or take responsibility for the error. This lack of accountability can erode trust in the healthcare system and providers. Questioning of Preventive Measures: I mention wondering if the ordeal could have been prevented had the provider taken my complaint seriously. This experience may leave others questioning the effectiveness of preventive measures and early intervention in healthcare. There was also a systemic impact seen when the GI provider mentioned that he had seen a similar case before. This raises concerns about the potential for systemic issues, where implicit biases might be influencing the care provided to other patients as well. Barnes-Holmes, 2013; Vanpuymbrouck et al., 2020). What is concerning about these results is that these professionals spend an extensive amount of time with patients known to have disabilities and autism. With hidden biases, there is a tendency for providers to unknowingly excuse inequitable treatment. seeking mental health support can encounter inaccurate evaluations, limited intervention choices, and stigma due to these biases. Recognizing and rectifying implicit biases within the mental health sector is pivotal in establishing a treatment environment characterized by fairness, precision, and unbiased judgment.
weight affect the building of identity through society’s norms and acceptance, thus affecting their self-esteem. Obese patients have vocalized feeling discriminated against by their healthcare providers. In a study with 2,000 medical doctors, data from the IAT revealed a preference for thin
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