Other

General Meeting

January 26, 2016 at 9:00am

Location: Pine Run Retirement Community, 777 Ferry Road, Doylestown, PA 18901

Implicit Bias in Health Care Decision Making

Speaker: Michele Galietta, Ph.D.

Implicit bias is bias in judgment that results from subtle cognitive processes (e.g., implicit attitudes and implicit stereotypes) that often operate at a level below conscious awareness and beyond the intentional control of individuals. Research has demonstrated that implicit bias is often inconsistent with the conscious attitudes that individuals hold about various groups of people, and that unconscious attitudes can and do influence behaviors. There is a growing body of literature concerning the effects of implicit bias in health care decision-making, and the impact of implicit bias on healthcare disparities. This lecture will familiarize participants with the concept of implicit bias, particularly as it operates in the health care arena. We will briefly review the literature in the area, highlighting implications for workshop participants in their roles within the healthcare system. Finally, we will review remedies to counteract unconscious stereotypes and biases and discuss best practices in light of these findings.

Presenter Information: Dr. Michele Galietta is Associate Professor of Psychology at The John Jay College of Criminal Justice, City University of New York, where she served as Director of the Clinical Psychology Ph.D. Program from 2005-2013. Dr. Galietta is a researcher and clinician specializing in the application, adaptation and dissemination of empirically-supported treatments. Her areas of clinical expertise include the assessment and treatment of violence, self-harm, and suicide across the lifespan. She has conducted training for New York City Police Officers on communicating with mentally ill individuals, as well as hostage negotiations. In addition, Dr. Galietta has studied the ethics of end-of-life research, and has written about ethical issues associated with diminished capacities in the elderly and other vulnerable populations. While employed at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York, she conducted research on end of life issues in medically ill populations, including individuals with terminal cancer and AIDS. Dr. Galietta served on the Board of Directors for American Medical Directors Long-term Care Certification Program. She has appeared on CNN and Court TV, and has been cited in the New York Times, the Washington Post, and other media outlets. Dr. Galietta holds a MA degree in spirituality and religion, and a Ph.D. in clinical psychology, both from Fordham University in New York.