What to Know About MA BORIM and Unconscious Bias Training
Back in Spring 2022, the Boston Globe reported on new unconscious bias training requirements for physicians. These were put forward by the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Medicine (BORIM), which oversees the requirements physicians need to meet before they’re granted a medical license in the state. From June 1st, 2022, all physicians are now required to complete at least two hours of Implicit/Unconscious Bias training before getting or renewing their medical license.
Whether you’re moving to Massachusetts and wanting to practise medicine, or your license is up for renewal, here’s what you need to know about MA BORIM and unconscious bias training.
What are the New Requirements Around Unconscious Bias Training for Physicians?
To renew their medical licenses, physicians and osteopaths must complete a continuing medical education requirement of 2.00 credits on the topic of implicit bias in healthcare. This must be done before a license is either initially applied for or has expired.
More information on who exactly is required to take this training, when it needs to be done, the hours needed, and answers to other questions can be found on this official factsheet.
Why Has BORIM Introduced Compulsory Unconscious Bias Training for Physicians?
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”.
Why is Unconscious Bias Training Important?
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.
We’re Here to Help
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 call us at (781) 235-1490.
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