Massachusetts Board of Registration in Medicine now requiring Unconscious Bias training as part of their licensing requirements

The Boston Globe recently reported that the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Medicine (BORIM) oversees the requirements physicians need to meet before they’re granted a medical license in the state. Effective June 1st, 2022, all physicians will be required to complete at least two hours of Implicit/Unconscious Bias training before getting or renewing their medical license.

The Massachusetts government website explains that BORIM has, as part of its mission, the goal of ensuring that physicians and the health care institutions in which they practice provide to their patients a high standard of care and a supporting environment that maximizes the high quality of health care for all people in Massachusetts. 

This mission includes recognizing the responsibility to treat all patients fairly, with equal care, and without bias. 

This action has been welcomed by practitioners and equality advocates alike. In last week’s Boston Globe article, the author cites experiences of specialists in the field such as Dr. Khama Ennis, who said, “The hairs on the back of my neck stood up,” when describing how a colleague reported an incident in the ER, which had included reference to an individual’s race. According to the article, Ennis wondered how the patient’s skin color was relevant to the reaction, although it had clearly contributed to her colleague’s implied fear.

Unconscious bias training has long been part of the Insource training suite, and we’re encouraged to see this awareness being prioritized more broadly.  Insource Vice President, Saleha Walsh, says, “When we present unconscious bias training, audiences often comment on how surprised they are at what they learned about themselves, and how unique each person’s experience of bias is.  Even people who felt extremely committed to issues of fair treatment report that they learned from the training and welcomed learning from the perspectives of others.  Seeing this topic becoming a part of formal training in the professional and medical space is an excellent step in the right direction.”

Beginning with physicians, BORIM is requiring that all caregivers undertake training to help develop an awareness of and reduce incidences of bias or prejudice in their practice. To renew their medical licenses, physicians must complete a continuing medical education requirement of 2.00 credits on the topic of implicit bias in healthcare. 

To find out more about diversity, equality, and unconscious bias training or for a free consultation about implementing the required training for your organization, contact Insource today via email or call us at (781) 235-1490.

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