Healthcare Bias: An Invisible Pandemic

The first systematic review to quantify the impact of bias on patient outcomes – and how we confront it

Our report, the first global systematic review of healthcare professional (HCP) bias, led by our behavioural science strategists Fernanda Trevisan and Ellie Glew, explores biases stemming from racial, gender, socioeconomic, and cultural prejudices. Discover the shocking truths uncovered in our study:

Gender Bias: Women frequently received lower-quality care compared to men, being seen as more ‘communicative’ and as a consequence having their pain taken less seriously

Age Bias: As patients age, they were 81% less likely to receive cancer surgery or chemotherapy

Race and Ethnic Bias: African American cancer patients in the US face an 8% higher risk of death compared to White patients and were also less likely to be treated by an oncologist or surgeon

Stigmatisation Bias: 84% of Type 2 Diabetes patients reported experiencing stigma, such as feeling stigmatised by their doctors, leading to depression and psychological distress

And more…

We explore how these biases influence diagnostic decisions, treatment plans, and patient interactions globally, and their implications for the pharmaceutical industry. Our report provides comprehensive analyses and offer insights into what pharmaceutical companies can do to mitigate these biases.

Download the report below.