(PO-134) Impact of Unconscious Bias Training on Students’ Color Blind Racial Attitudes

Author: Kelly C. Lemke, D.D.S. – Assistant Professor, UT Health San Antonio School of Dentistry
Author: Linda Grace Solis, Ph.D. – Assistant Professor of Applied Humanities, University of the Incarnate Word
 School of Osteopathic Medicine
Author: Stefanie Seitz, D.D.S. – Assistant Dean for Students, UT Health San Antonio School of Dentistry
Submitter: Kelly C. Lemke, D.D.S. – Assistant Professor, UT Health San Antonio School of Dentistry

Objectives: Combatting biases against people of color in healthcare settings requires awareness of personal biases and recognition of racism as a driver of health disparities. To date, curricula at UT Health San Antonio School of Dentistry do not provide opportunities for personally relevant training in unconscious bias recognition/management. To address this gap, we developed a module for second-year dental students focused on self-awareness and the connections between unconscious bias, personal/cultural identity, and racial disparities in healthcare.

Methods: Second-year students (n=104) completed an online, multimedia, interactive course on unconscious bias, microaggressions, solutions toolkit, self-awareness, and bias and disparities in medicine and healthcare. Students subsequently met in groups for guided debriefing with a trained facilitator. Activities included a reflection and strategy identification for improving self-awareness and mitigating the impact of unconscious biases. Students responded anonymously to a 20-item, Color-Blind Racial Attitudes Scale (CoBRAS) electronic survey before and at two timepoints after training. CoBRAS measures racial attitudes and stereotyping using three subscales (Unawareness of Racial Privilege, Institutional Discrimination, and Blatant Racial Issues). Data were analyzed in aggregate using independent-sample t-tests.

Results: Respondents were 55.6% female. Respondents identified as White/non-Hispanic (40.4%), Asian (34.6%), Hispanic/Latino (19.2%), Black/African American (4.8%), and American Indian ( < 1%). At baseline, males possessed significantly higher Unawareness of Blatant Racial Issues. White students possessed significantly higher Unawareness of Racial Privilege and Institutional Discrimination compared to non-White students. Immediately post-training, both White and non-White students indicated a significant improvement in awareness of Racial Privilege. At 6 weeks there was no significant difference on any CoBRAS subscale compared to baseline.

Conclusion: These findings indicate that unconscious bias online learning followed by debriefing had a short-term impact on awareness of racial privilege. More robust training opportunities in self-awareness and in understanding privilege and biases are merited in the service of lessening racial health disparities.