Evidence of Implicit Bias Against People Experiencing Homelessness Among Emergency Medical Services Providers

Abstract:Emergency medical services (EMS) personnel provide medical care for many low-income and underserved individuals, including people experiencing homelessness (PEH). However, whereas EMS providers report positive explicit attitudes toward PEH, when seeking care, PEH report being the target of discrimination, which may reflect automatic or implicit prejudice that EMS providers hold toward them. To examine if EMS providers hold implicit prejudice toward PEH, 42 certified emergency medical technician (EMT) workers from Southern Arizona completed an Implicit Associations Test (IAT). The results showed a moderate and significant level of implicit prejudice against PEH, with male EMTs reporting significantly higher levels than female EMTs. The results indicate that developing new education and training in implicit bias for EMS providers may improve care for PEH.