Several U.S. states are training doctors to eliminate implicit bias from their treatment decisions, spurred by the finding that minority populations paid a higher price during the pandemic. States are trying to narrow health outcome gaps between whites and minorities, especially for postpartum women. In recent years, at least four states have mandated implicit bias training for certain practitioners, including as a prerequisite for professional licensure or renewal for some. Training motivates providers to consider every patient as an individual without making race- or income-based assumptions. However, experts note the courses must be tailored to acknowledge that having implicit biases does not signal character defects or malicious intent. "Egalitarian people still commit acts of implicit bias," said Michelle van Ryn, a leading researcher on implicit bias in healthcare, whose company, Diversity Science, helps organizations achieve greater diversity and inclusion. Researchers have determined that implicit biases often manifest when providers are multitasking or stressed. Maryland in 2020 passed one of the first implicit bias training laws, requiring all healthcare professionals treating patients in perinatal units to receive such training at least once biannually. Quinn Capers, associate dean at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, notes that healthcare providers are accustomed to obligatory continuing professional development requirements. "As a cardiologist, I have to recertify every two years in CPR," he explains. "No one worries that will make heart doctors more resentful of CPR."

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