Teaching anti-racism at the bedside: perspectives from patients and clinician educators

TL;DR

This study explores how patients and doctors can work together to address racism in healthcare by discussing it at the bedside.

Contribution

The study introduces patient perspectives and identifies barriers and facilitators for teaching anti-racism at the bedside.

Findings

Patients are open to discussing their racialized experiences during clinical care.

Clinician educators face barriers like time constraints and lack of support when teaching anti-racism.

Including patient stories in teaching improves understanding and rapport.

Abstract

Anti-racism medical education is essential for addressing health disparities and improving patient care. This study examined patient perspectives onengaging in anti-racism discussions at the bedside and explored barriers and facilitators facedby clinician educators when teaching anti-racism concepts to clinical learners. examined patient perspectives on engaging in these discussions at the bedside.

This qualitative study utilized focus group discussions withpatients from underrepresented communities and semi-structured interviews with clinicianeducators.

Patients (n = 17) were recruited from a Virtual National Community Advisory Board, comprising patients and clinicians caring for Black patients in Leeds, AL; Memphis, TN; Oakland, CA; and Rochester, NY. Clinician educators (n = 10) were recruited from two academic medical centers in California and Alabama.

Patient focus groups introduced participants to teaching scenarios around bias and structural racism in clinical decision making, and invited response and discussion focused on perceived comfort as a patient, provider-patient rapport, and sense of inclusion in the teaching moment. 1:1 clinician educator interviews focused on knowledge of structural racism, experiences discussing anti-racism, and perceived barriers and facilitators when teaching these concepts in clinical settings.

Patients expressed interest to engage in bedside discussions about their racialized experiences, emphasizing the importance of patient narratives in these conversations. Both clinician educators and patients agreed on the importance of including patient stories and voices in bedside teaching on anti-racism. Clinician educators identified significant barriers to teaching anti-racism at the bedside: systemic challenges (e.g. time constraints), lack of structural support, personal discomfort, and fear of retaliation. Facilitators included supportive learning communities and structured curricula.

This study highlights the potential to enhance anti-racism education in medical training by incorporating patient voices into bedside teaching. This approach empowers patients and enriches clinician educators’ understanding of relevant racialized experiences. Future research should focus on the practical implementation of these discussions in clinical environments and their impact on patient outcomes.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12909-025-08312-2.