Final answer:
Implicit bias is a form of unconscious bias that is difficult to change and can significantly affect health care delivery. Mitigating such biases requires a conscious effort and commitment to change one's thinking and behaviors. Training and awareness are essential in combating implicit biases in the health care sector.
Step-by-step explanation:
The type of bias that is difficult to change in health care delivery because it operates out of our consciousness is known as implicit bias. This bias affects our behavior unknowingly and is deeply embedded within our subconscious. Changing implicit bias requires a deliberate commitment to modify thinking and behaviors, which is not an easy task. The notion of implicit bias extends to various sectors, including the health care system, where it can influence decisions such as the mode of delivery in childbirth.
It is a challenge in health care to ascertain whether outcomes like life expectancy are influenced more by personal lifestyle choices or by the level of health care received. This complexity underscores how unconscious biases can inadvertently affect health care delivery and patient outcomes.
Efforts to mitigate implicit biases, such as bias reduction training, aim to increase awareness among health care professionals. These strategies can help individuals recognize and work against unconscious prejudices and result in more equitable health care practices.