Resident Physician Experiences With and Responses to Biased Patients

Key Points Question How often do resident physicians encounter incidents of biased patient behavior, and how do they respond? Findings In a survey study of 232 internal medicine residents from 3 institutions, biased patient behavior ranging from belittling comments to refusal of care was experienced or witnessed by nearly all residents. Forty-five percent of Black/Latinx residents experienced epithets or refusal of care, and most women (87%) experienced sexual harassment; however, most residents (84%) did not report these encounters to their institutional leadership. Meaning Given the high prevalence of biased patient behavior, residency programs that aim to foster inclusive training environments should implement resident and faculty training and create patient reporting mechanisms.