Bias and stereotypes can really affect how decisions are made in medicine. This can lead to different levels of care for different patients. Let’s break it down into some important parts:

1. How Doctors Assess Patients: Sometimes, doctors might have hidden biases that change how they look at patients. For example, a doctor might think an older person won’t understand medical information as well. This could lead to the doctor giving them less clear explanations.

2. Choosing Treatments: Stereotypes can also affect the treatments that are suggested. For instance, some minority patients might not receive strong treatments because doctors might wrongly believe they can’t access healthcare or won’t follow instructions.

3. Building Trust with Patients: When biases show up, it can hurt the trust between doctors and patients. If a patient feels judged because of their background, they might not share important details about their health. This can make their care worse.

By spotting and fixing these biases, healthcare workers can work towards a fairer and more ethical way of practicing medicine.