Person-Centered Decision Making Lesson

The United States is an increasingly diverse country and this affects people’s preferences, whether they are the ones accessing or providing healthcare. Decision making processes are affected by innumerable factors that should be considered. These factors include, but are not limited to, an individual’s experience of race, class, gender, age, assimilation, religion, ability, and cultural markers.

Culture impacts healthcare decision making in unique ways. Variety exists around:

• Attitudes and customs related to wellness, illness, birth, and death
• Communication styles
• Family roles and organization of “family” and community
• Food rules, taboos, and spirituality
• Customs related to modesty, privacy
• Adhering to ritual or tradition or choosing a “modern” lifestyle
• Concepts of risk and safety

An individual may specifically develop implicit biases based on their experience of race, class, gender, age, assimilation, religion, ability, and cultural markers. Implicit biases are unconscious prejudices that all persons hold across varying socio-political identities. These implicit biases can impact presentation of information in PCDM and interpretation of responses. All providers should be encouraged to explore their own implicit biases and consider the implication of those biases on patient care interactions. Project Implicit is one way to do this.