Implicit bias in healthcare Implicit bias significantly affects how healthcare professionals perceive and make treatment decisions, ultimately resulting in disparities in health outcomes. These biases, often unconscious and unintentional, can shape behavior and produce differences in medical care along various lines, including race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, and socioeconomic status. Healthcare disparities stemming from implicit bias can manifest in several ways. For example, a healthcare provider might unconsciously give less attention to a patient or make assumptions about their medical needs based on race, gender, or age. The unconscious assumptions can lead to delayed or inadequate care, misdiagnoses, or inappropriate treatments, all of which can adversely impact health outcomes. Addressing
implicit bias in healthcare is crucial for achieving equity in medical treatment. Strategies to combat these biases involve education and awareness programs for healthcare professionals. These programs help individuals recognize and acknowledge their biases, fostering a more empathetic and unbiased approach to patient care. Additionally, implementing policies and procedures prioritizing equitable treatment for all patients can play a pivotal role in reducing healthcare disparities. Ultimately, confronting implicit bias in healthcare is essential to creating a more just and equitable healthcare system where everyone receives fair and equal treatment regardless of their background or characteristics.
INTRODUCTION
Alzheimer’s disease is one of the leading illnesses affecting the elderly and is the most prevalent dementia. According to the World Health Organization, the number of people in the world that will be diagnosed with AD is expected to reach 82 million by 2030 (WHO, 2022). AD is a public health challenge. In May 2022, the federal government increased funding for AD research to almost $350 billion. As a major cause of physical and mental disability, and increased functional dependency, AD affects not only the patient but the caregiver as well. Allied healthcare
providers will play a major role in education, communication, and treatment of this disease, and the research shows that their interaction is with the patient and their respective support team. Learning about ADRD, the impact on the brain, AD stages and symptoms, and caregiver burden will enable you to better serve this population. This course will provide insight into the disease allowing you to have deeper understanding into the lives of patients and those who care for them.
ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE AND RELATED DEMENTIAS (ADRD)
In 2022 approximately 6.5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease (Alzheimer’s Association, Quick facts, 2022). Almost 75% of these people are over age 75, and two-thirds are women. By the year 2050 the number of Americans afflicted by ADRD will be close to 13 million. It is important to recognize that this disease strikes a person and also deeply affects their loved ones whose lives are directly impacted by caregiving responsibilities.
Professionals providing direct care to people with ADRD will continue to find the opportunity to work in private homes, daycares, skilled nursing facilities, assisted living facilities, hospitals, and hospice. This is a demanding job that requires compassion, patience, and empathy, as well as the ability to pivot and adjust as the stages of the disease present new challenges. It is recommended that professionals providing care identify a support network in which there can be an idea exchange for appropriate, dignified care as the stages progress.
DEMENTIA
● Loss of interest in normal activities ● Inability to perform normal activities ● Paranoia and/or delusions ● Evidence-Based Practice ● Difficulty expressing thoughts ● Loss of ability to read or write
Dementia is a common brain disorder throughout the world characterized by memory loss, cognitive impairment, and ultimately the loss of independence (Zhao et al., 2021). Over time, capacity is diminished, which deeply impacts well-being, self-care, and the ability to perform activities of daily living (ADL). Table 1 lists other disease processes that cause dementia. Symptoms of dementia can include: ● Memory loss ● Poor judgment and confusion
Evidence-Based Practice! It is important that people with any type of dementia-like attributes receive a diagnosis from a trained provider (Ophey, 2021). Experts are needed to ensure diagnostic accuracy with screening methodologies to create and implement care plans that will improve outcomes.
● Confusion with finances ● Wandering or getting lost ● Inability to capture words for objects
Table 1. Types of Dementia Disease
Symptoms
Attributes/Causation
Parkinson’s disease (Ophey et al., 2021)
• Poor executive function • Trouble walking • Unstable gait • Impaired responsiveness to visual cues • Speech impairment • Impaired affect/modified facial expression • Decreased eye blinking • Depression • Dementia • Insomnia • Rigidity/freezing • Shaking • AD traits: Memory loss, confusion, and language
• Basal ganglia cells die, causing dopamine levels to drop • Progressive, chronic disease • Personalized treatments for symptom relief • Exercise can improve symptoms and may protect the brain (Michael J. Fox Foundation, 2022) • No cure
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Book Code: PYIL1824
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