According to Borkowski and Meese (2021), social perception is not only how an individual sees others but also how others see the individual. We can shape how we see others by a single characteristic, comparing the person to someone else, projecting our own attitudes and beliefs onto them, judging by whatever group they belong to, or trying to control how we are seen (Borkowski & Meese, 2021). Social perception impacts the healthcare setting by affecting how we perceive one’s competency in the workplace as well as helping managers avoid poor decisions due to their own bias and perception of employees (Borkowski & Meese, 2021). One form of perception that I found very interesting was stereotyping. Although stereotypes can be positive, most of the time when this is done, it has a negative connotation to it.
Age-related stereotypes that we hold in the workplace include the belief that older workers do not participate in training and career development, are unwilling to change, and are less healthy; causing more concerns when it comes to hiring older workers (Wang & Fang, 2020). Within the patient care setting, age-related stereotypes are very prevalent. We tend to associate old age with deteriorating health and decreased cognitive abilities (Wyman et al. 2018). This can then lead to poor and ineffective communication between the patient and providers who tend to be less patient, respectful, and optimistic with the older patient. (Wyman et al. 2018). Stereotypes relating to skin color are also extremely damaging not only in the workplace but to the patient as well. Non-white patients “tend to receive lower-quality health care of healthcare than whites…and found that evidence of stereotyping, biases, and uncertainty on the part of health care providers can contribute to unequal treatmentâ€� (Borkowski & Meese, 2021). Non-white patients are often stereotyped as less educated and less likely to adhere to treatment plans compared to their white counterparts (Wilson et al. 2021). This can lead to what is known as stereotype threat. The National Institute of Health (2017) describes stereotype threat as “members of a marginalized group acknowledge that a negative stereotype exists in reference to their group, and they demonstrate apprehension about confirming the negative stereotype by engaging in particular activities.â€� Let’s consider this example: Lisa, an African American woman, goes to the clinic for back pain and quickly realizes she is the only black woman in the waiting area. When she checks in the receptionist asks her if she has insurance but later politely asks the white patient after Lisa if she can have her insurance card. The white doctor Lisa is seeing ends up being over 20 mins late, does not apologize for being late, and stands throughout the visit. Lisa starts to question if the way she is being treated can be attributed to her being black because of previous experiences she had with providers whom she felt did not treat her with the same respect and dignity as they did with their white patients. Lisa wants to speak up about the care she is receiving but doesn’t because she fears it will just confirm whatever stereotypes the doctor already has about black patients. Because of the fear of being associated with group-related negative stereotypes, Lisa left her appointment with her concerns not being addressed. Stereotype threat can lead to increased morbidity and mortality due to patients being more likely to miss appointments or delay needed or preventative care (Wilson et al. 2021).
So, what can managers do to ensure employees unlearn these biases? They can provide training exercises geared towards helping sensitize employees to issues of race, sexism, and ageism, and help their staff recognize that stereotypes are illogical by challenging their thinking (Borkowski & Meese, 2021). The Bible tells us in Galatians 3:28 that “there is no Jew or Greek, slave or free, male and female; since you are all one in Christ.� The Lord reminds us of the importance of treating everyone with the same amount of respect because we are all one in Christ. This is extremely important for healthcare professionals seeking to be a light to the world by providing equal and exceptional care.
References:
Borkowski, N., Meese, K.A. (2021). Organizational behavior in health care. Jones & Bartlett Learning
National Institute of Health (2017) Stereotype Threat: Definition. https://diversity.nih.gov/sociocultural-factors/stereotype-threat
Links to an external site.
Wang, M., Fang, Y. (2020). Age Diversity in the workplace: facilitating opportunities with organizational practices.Public Policy & Aging Report 30(3) 119-123. https://doi.org/10.1093/ppar/praa015
Links to an external site.
Wilson, B.N., Murase, J.E., Sliwka, D., Botto, N. (2021). Bridging racial differences in the clinical encounter: How implicit bias and stereotype threat contribute to health care disparities in the dermatology clinic. International Journal of Women’s Dermatology 7(2) 139-144. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijwd.2020.12.013
Links to an external site.
Wyman, M.F., Shiovitz-Ezra, S., Bengel, J. (2018) Ageism in the healthcare system: providers, patients, and systems. Contemporary Perspective on Ageism. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-73820-8_1