Bias against female doctors won’t end until evidence based interventions are mandatory

Systemic interventions such as mandatory checklists and other “bias busting” strategies are needed to end ingrained discrimination against female doctors, according to a review of current “ineffectual” diversity and inclusion policies in healthcare organisations.

The review by management and innovation scientists at the University of Toronto and published in the Lancet,1 says that despite considerable investment in inclusion policies, women doctors continue to face “everyday experiences of sexism.” These include exposure to sexist jokes, sexual harassment, weaker references letters, a lower income, and a decreased likelihood of being addressed using one’s professional title, say the researchers, who drew on …