Our health service is under increased pressure, causing healthcare professional to make critical decisions faster… so is there a real risk that biases may creep in?
As a result of a recent BBC article (We must challenge ‘doctor knows best’ attitude, bereaved mother says) and as our healthcare system continues to be put under increased pressure, I asked whether the question “Is my GP making decisions that are subconsciously biased?” ought to be a critical, if not existential concern for us all? After all, our GPs are human beings, and human beings make mistakes when they make decisions… that’s what this site is all about.
In a recent psychology Today article, they examined ‘medical gaslighting’.
Gaslighting is the term used to describe a type of manipulation that is designed to make another person doubt their own judgment or question their reality – ‘Medical gaslighting’ describes the experience of having a medical concern dismissed or arbitrarily attributed to a psychological or neutral cause by a healthcare provider.
So, in answer to the question, yes, healthcare providers can be biased. So many factors influence their decision-making accuracy and as they become more overwhelmed, they subconsciously employ heuristics which are a form of mental shortcut but are also prone to cognitive biases.
What can we do about it?
It’s ultimately down to us to be aware of the detrimental effect cognitive biases can have on the decision-making of healthcare professionals, however we are also at risk from our own cognitive biases when it comes to healthcare; we are often victims of ‘Authority Bias’.
Authority bias is the tendency to attribute greater accuracy to the opinion of a perceived authority figure and be more influenced by that opinion. Authority figures are subjective and determined very much by our experiences in life but often include teachers, medical professionals and members of the emergency services.
It can be awkward to challenge the opinion of a so-called ‘expert’ but if delivered courteously, it shouldn’t be. Although many authority figures don’t like to be challenged, remember, your life may depend on it.
Authority Bias is more prevalent in certain situations and with particular . In traditionally authoritarian scenarios; churches, schools and medical settings, we tend to be more at risk from authority bias, though this is often dependent on our upbringing.
