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Consensus on an implicit bias and health disparities curriculum in neonatal medicine: a Delphi study

Journal of Perinatology volume 42, pages 1519–1526 (2022)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

Objective

Despite longstanding and recurrent calls for effective implicit bias (IB) education in health professions education as one mechanism to reduce ongoing racism and health disparities, such curricula for neonatal-perinatal medicine (NPM) are limited. We aim to determine the key curricular elements for educating NPM fellows, advanced practice providers, and attending physicians in the critical topics of IB and health disparities.

Study design

A modified Delphi study was performed with content experts in IB and health disparities who had educational relationships to those working and training in the neonatal intensive care unit.

Result

Three Delphi rounds were conducted from May to November 2021. Experts reached consensus on a variety of items for inclusion in the curriculum, including educational goals, learning objectives, teaching strategies, and educator principles.

Conclusion

Essential curricular components of an IB and health disparities curriculum for neonatal medicine were defined using rigorous consensus building methodology.

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Fig. 1: Curricular item flow through modified Delphi process.

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Data availability

The datasets generated during and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Funding

This work was supported by a 2020 American Academy of Pediatrics Section of Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine (SONPM) Strategic Grant. The funding agency had no role in the design and conduct of the study; collection, management, analysis, and interpretation of the data; and preparation, review, or approval of the manuscript.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Neonatal Medicine, Department of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA

    Stephanie C. Mavis

  2. Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA

    Catherine G. Caruso

  3. Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, University Hospitals Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA

    Cara Beth Carr & Allison H. Payne

  4. Division of Neonatal Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado, Aurora, CO, USA

    Nicolle F. Dyess

  5. Department of Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Heather French

  6. Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA

    Rita Dadiz

  7. Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA

    Margarita Vasquez

  8. Department of Pediatrics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA

    Lindsay Johnston

  9. Mildred T. Stahlman Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA

    Maria Gillam-Krakauer

  10. Department of Pediatrics and Biomedical Engineering, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY, USA

    Patricia Chess

  11. Division of Neonatology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA

    Susan Izatt

  12. Department of Pediatrics, Section of Neonatology, Baylor College of Medicine/Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX, USA

    Melissa M. Carbajal

  13. Section of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, The Ohio State University, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH, USA

    Elizabeth M. Bonachea

  14. Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA

    Megan M. Gray

Authors
  1. Stephanie C. Mavis
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  2. Catherine G. Caruso
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  3. Cara Beth Carr
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  4. Nicolle F. Dyess
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  5. Heather French
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  6. Rita Dadiz
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  7. Margarita Vasquez
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  8. Lindsay Johnston
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  9. Maria Gillam-Krakauer
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  10. Patricia Chess
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  11. Susan Izatt
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  12. Allison H. Payne
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  13. Melissa M. Carbajal
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  14. Elizabeth M. Bonachea
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  15. Megan M. Gray
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Contributions

SCM: methodology, investigation, data curation, visualization, formal analysis, writing—original draft. CGC, CBC, and NFD: methodology, investigation, formal analysis, writing—review and editing. HF, RD, MV, LJ, MGK, PC, SI, AHP, MMC, and EMB: conceptualization, methodology, writing—review and editing. MMG: conceptualization, methodology, supervision, writing—review and editing.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Stephanie C. Mavis.

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Competing interests

The authors declare no competing interests.

Ethical approval

This study was approved by Mayo Clinic IRB (IRB Application #: 21-000682).

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Mavis, S.C., Caruso, C.G., Carr, C.B. et al. Consensus on an implicit bias and health disparities curriculum in neonatal medicine: a Delphi study. J Perinatol 42, 1519–1526 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41372-022-01530-2

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