Implicit bias among physicians and its prediction of thrombolysis decisions for black and white patients

rities in health care frequently implicate physicians’ unconscious biases. No study to date has measured physicians ’ unconscious racial bias to test whether this predicts physicians ’ clinical decisions. OBJECTIVE: To test whether physicians show implicit race bias and whether the magnitude of such bias predicts thrombolysis recommendations for black and white patients with acute coronary syndromes. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: An internet-based tool comprising a clinical vignette of a patient presenting to the emergency department with an acute coronary syndrome, followed by a questionnaire and three Implicit Association Tests (IATs). Study invitations were e-mailed to all internal medicine and emergency medicine residents at four academic medical centers i