CCP Virtual Workshop 3: The Social Determinants of Health and Unpacking Bias and Stigma in Medicine

Join us for the third workshop series in the Conscientious Clinician Program (CCP)- The Social Determinants of Health and Unpacking Bias and Stigma in Medicine.

The social determinants of health are life-enhancing resources, such as food, housing, transportation, education, economic and social relationships, and health care, whose distribution across populations effectively determines length and quality of life. Even though medicine and health tend to rely heavily on biology to diagnose and treat patients, social determinants of health account for more than 75% of disparities communities experience. These disparities lead not only to increased illness and shortened lifespans, but also to poor economic outcomes for already vulnerable populations. In short, health disparities are expensive!

In this session, participants will examine social determinants of health models and learn to leverage them as they plan for, develop, and implement community-based public health interventions. Implicit bias refers to attitudes or stereotypes that affect our understanding, actions, and decisions in an unconscious way, making them difficult to control. Implicit bias is prevalent among health professionals and can impact the ways in which services are delivered to clients and contributes to health disparities, especially in marginalized groups.

Further, the stigmatizing attitudes and beliefs of health professionals can hinder patient access to care, linkage, and treatment adherence. In this session, participants will examine how implicit bias at the individual and institutional levels affect patient-provider relationships. Using racism as a framework to understand oppression, participants will be able to understand specific examples of bias operate and engage in activities to identify some of their own biases. Finally, they will apply their new understanding to take steps to mitigate their own bias as they strive to produce improved health outcomes for all.