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The Bias Diagnosis

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The Bias Diagnosis

By: Ivan Beckley, Emma Barnaby, Yero Timi-Biu, Anishka Sharma, Tej Adeleye
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About this listen

Five patients, one treatment room, and a broken healthcare system.

Ivan Beckley is about to become a fully-qualified doctor in the UK. But he’s not convinced that healthcare works for everyone equally.

In this series he uncovers one of the biggest and most insidious injustices in modern medicine. Fixing it could save thousands of lives every year. And yet it’s invisible, unless it directly affects you.

Statistics show that black and people of colour have worse health outcomes, and die more often than white people, across many fields of medicine and variety of illnesses.

Ivan’s search for answers takes him to the roots of modern medicine. He busts myths, debunks stereotypes and calls out misinformation that have existed for centuries and remain sadly very much alive today.

A Whistledown production for Audible Originals.

©2021 Ivan Beckley (P)2021 Audible, Ltd. Political Science Politics & Government
Episodes
  • Ep 1: Knowledge

    Ep 1: Knowledge
    Feb 9 2021

    Student doctor Ivan Beckley gathers evidence of structural bias in medicine; exploring the foundations of modern medical knowledge and the way doctors are trained.
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    1 hr
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  • Ep 2: Perception

    Ep 2: Perception
    Feb 9 2021

    Imagine telling someone you’re in pain. How do you know that they believe you? Why is some people’s pain perceived differently to others? And what does that mean for those with chronic and life-threatening illnesses?
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    58 mins
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  • Ep 3: Thought

    Ep 3: Thought
    Feb 9 2021

    Ivan steps into the world of mental health. How much the diagnosis and treatment of mental illness is actually shaped by physical appearance?

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    1 hr and 2 mins
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Black people are four times more likely to be detained under the Mental Health Act - Ref: Detentions under the Mental Health Act - GOV.UK -
Ivan Beckley

About the presenter

Ivan Beckley is a final year student doctor at University College London medical school. Alongside his studies, Ivan is an NHS clinical entrepreneur as CEO of Suvera, a healthcare company enabling virtual care for people with long-term conditions in the UK. Whilst at medical school Ivan has worked with a number of health technology companies, including Google DeepMind, working on AI healthcare algorithms. As part of his work, DeepMind sponsored his MSc in health data science, which he completed in 2018.

As recognition of Ivan’s achievements in 2015, he was awarded one of the top 10 black students in the UK by Rare recruitment and No.3 on the list of Top 100 African and Caribbean graduates and undergraduates by Powerful Media. Fundamentally Ivan believes there is no problem too big to solve. He hopes to focus his career on demonstrating the potential for technology to create universal healthcare coverage for all of humanity.

The stories behind the statistics

Avery Smith
  • Avery Smith
Hear Avery talking about his wife Latoya in episode 1: Knowledge
Tobi Adebajo
  • Tobi Adebajo
Tobi talks about pain in episode 2
Colin King
  • Colin King
Colin shares his experiences in episode 3: Thought
Ernestine Ndzi
  • Ernestine Ndzi
Ernestine is one of the women we hear from in episode 4: Birth
Ola Ojewumi
  • Ola Ojewumi
Listen to Ola's story in episode 5: Breathe
  • Avery Smith
  • Hear Avery talking about his wife Latoya in episode 1: Knowledge
  • Tobi Adebajo
  • Tobi talks about pain in episode 2
  • Colin King
  • Colin shares his experiences in episode 3: Thought
  • Ernestine Ndzi
  • Ernestine is one of the women we hear from in episode 4: Birth
  • Ola Ojewumi
  • Listen to Ola's story in episode 5: Breathe

Find out why Ivan has recorded this podcast

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As an ICU nurse, I can completely echo what has been expressed in this incredibly insightful piece of work. There have been times where black and brown patients have been labelled as 'faking it', 'overdoing it' or 'aggressive', by fellow members of staff for expressing genuine symptoms that naturally cause people distress. However, the same colleagues seem to have a wealth of care and compassion available for patients that resemble them. Not to mention, the lack of diversity in textbooks and modern health education which makes it impossible to adequately tend to the needs of black and brown patients. When we question educators on it, all they say is 'sorry, it's not available, we'll look into it' and then radio silence.
Even though I'm a nurse, I worry about my mum one day needing to go to hospital, because I'm worried that she may not get the adequate service she needs.

Incredibly moving and insightful

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I have spoken to so many friends about this eye opening podcast. Even though I am not in the medical realm I found this series so informative about how endemic racism is embedded into our societies today.
The most important points are that not only is this racism embedded in the Western world, but has cascaded into continents like Africa, as most science and medical training originates from western based research and it's bais.
I loved the way each podcast series introduces another aspect of medical bias that I had never even considered.
A great piece of informative journalism.

Absolutely brillant podcast series - eye opening!

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Loved the research and subjects. Great that ethnic difference is being addressed in contemporary medicine. Let's hope sufficient research material impacts to adjust the colonial medical and psychiatric literature to improve live s.

Excellent 👌

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I can relate to this book hence why I say the stories and the general treatment of people of colour seeking medical care is not surprising; however our experiences will and can be eye opening for others and I hope bring about change.

Not surprising but eye opening.

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This was truly shocking but presented in such a way that it inspires social change. I will be recommending this book to friends and my colleagues working in the NHS.

A must read for everyone!

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I have been trying to find a way to really understand institutional racism and other forms of discrimination for a few months. I hope that my journey has led to me learning a great deal but this podcast unpacks how it plays out in health care so simply and clearly. I was aware that it must exist but not how it worked.

I am a white woman but living with a progressive disability has made me examine unconscious bias in my own life, my own subtle ableism and how that makes me view myself. This podcast has really helped me and it’s shocking explanation of how racial discrimination, going back to the time of slavery, still echos in health care practice in Britain today is truly shocking.

Thank you for the work you have done. You need to talk to channel 4 about making this into a TV show to reach more people.

One of the best descriptions of how institutional racism works in all settings but especially healthcare

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absolutely brilliant! the narrator is summarising many accounts of stereotyping, prejudice and systemic racism in medicine and health care. being a white person in the English health care system, I think some encounters are overinterpreted to race which are just doctors not doing their due diligence (I myself have encountered those), but altogether massively eye opening and truly shocking to hear. everyone should listen to this!

Brilliant

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This was a hard pill to swallow but very informative. i knew that racial bias and injustices exist everywhere, even in healthcare, but its to what extent i didnt realize. the stories of those on this podcast are heartbreaking and scary and need to be heard.

Need this info widespread

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I personally think this is a must listen to for everyone. There's an incredibly important message in here, and it's one that although I had heard about, I hadn't dug into. This podcast is very thought provoking and highly educational. The world we live in is flawed by social constructs, and awareness and education of these might just lead to changes.

A very important must listen

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I'm sat here in tears listening to the diagnosis bias. I am completely disgusted with my country. Great Britain isn't great. 💔 I wish everyone who was featured lots of healing. I am so sorry that white people treat you so awfully.

Heartbreaking

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