Clinical vignettes inadequate to assess impact of implicit bias: concerning limitations of a systematic review.

We are writing in response to Dehon et al's article "A Systematic Review of the Impact of Physician Implicit Racial Bias on Clinical Decision Making"(1) in the August 2017 issue of Academic Emergency Medicine. As members of SAEM's Academy of Diversity and Inclusion in Emergency Medicine, we believe it is imperative to pursue research on the impact of bias and discrimination on clinical practice and healthcare outcomes. While we commend Dr. Dehon and her colleagues for their effort to assess the impact of implicit bias on clinical decision-making, we do not think that the evidence reviewed supports the breadth of their conclusions. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.