Here's how common mental shortcuts can cause major physician errors

In health care, unconscious biases can lead to disparate treatment of patients and can affect whether similar patients live or die

It’s tempting to believe that physicians are logical, meticulous thinkers who perfectly weigh the pros and cons of treatment options, acting as unbiased surrogates for their patients. In reality, this is often far from the case. Bias, which takes many forms, affects how doctors think and the treatment decisions they make.

Racial biases in treatment decisions by physicians are well documented. One study found that black patients were significantly less likely than white patients to receive pain medication in the emergency department, despite reporting similar levels of pain. Other research suggests that longstanding racial biases among providers might have contributed to