Implicit Bias: Impact on Maternal Health in Minority Populations
Course: #5565Level: Introductory 1 Hour 13 ReviewsThis course examines how implicit bias and structural racism contribute to disparities in maternal and infant health among minority populations in the United States. It defines and differentiates implicit and explicit bias, explains how bias forms and operates within clinical relationships and power differentials, and connects these forces to structural racism and to documented patterns of maternal and infant morbidity and mortality. Learners explore the most recent national data on these disparities, including the populations at highest and least visible risk, and the everyday clinical moments where bias is most likely to influence care. The course then turns to practical, evidence-informed strategies that individuals, teams, and systems can use to recognize and reduce the impact of bias and structural racism on childbearing patients and their infants. This course was designed for an interprofessional audience.
On Demand
Course Type: Text/Transcript
CEUs/Hours Offered: AK/1.0; AL/1.0; AR/1.0; AZ/1.0; CA/1.0; CO/1.0; CT/1.0; DC/1.0; DE/1.0; FL/1.0; GA/1.0; HI/1.0; IA/1.0; IACET/0.1; ID/1.0; IL/1.0; IN/1.0; KS/1.0; KY/1.0; MA/1.0; MD/1.0; ME/1.0; MI/1.0; MO/1.0; MS/1.0; MT/1.0; NC/1.0; ND/1.0; NE/1.0; NH/1.0; NM/1.0; NY/1.2; OK/1.0; OR/1.0; PA/1.0; RI/1.0; SC/1.0; SD/1.0; TX/1.0; UT/1.0; VA/1.0; VT/1.0; WA/1.0; WI/1.0; WY/1.0
Learning Outcomes
- After this course, participants will be able to describe implicit and explicit bias, explain how each develops through lifespan socialization and can influence interprofessional team members’ interactions with childbearing patients, and identify resources team members can use to examine their own biases.
- After this course, participants will be able to recognize how bias and power differentials between clinicians and patients can affect the patient and the patient and team relationship.
- After this course, participants will be able to describe structural racism and how it forms, explain its impact on maternal health, and identify risk factors for and patterns of maternal morbidity and mortality across White, Black, Hispanic, Asian, and American Indian and Alaska Native populations in the United States.
- After this course, participants will be able to describe infant mortality in the United States and its ties to maternal health, and explain the interprofessional team’s role in reducing the impact of implicit bias and structural racism for pregnant patients.
Course created on June 24, 2026
Agenda
| 0-5 Minutes | Introduction, relevance to the interprofessional team, and learning outcomes |
| 5-10 Minutes | Section 1: Implicit and explicit bias defined and differentiated. |
| 10-15 Minutes | Section 2: How bias forms: socialization, stereotypes, prejudice, and “isms” across the lifespan, with resources for self-examination. |
| 15-20 Minutes | Section 3: Bias, power differentials, and the patient. |
| 20-25 Minutes | Section 4: Structural racism: what it is, how it forms, and its impact on maternal health. |
| 25-35 Minutes | Section 5: Maternal morbidity and mortality: risk factors and patterns across populations. |
| 35-40 Minutes | Section 6: Infant mortality and its ties to maternal health. |
| 40-50 Minutes | Section 7: The interprofessional team's role in reducing bias and structural racism. |
| 50-55 Minutes | Application to team-based practice across disciplines. |
| 55-60 Minutes | Summary |
Reviews
13 ReviewsPresented By

Calista Kelly
PT, DPT, ACEEAA, Cert. MDT
Senior Strategic Content Developer
Calista holds a master’s degree in physical therapy from St. Ambrose University and a doctorate degree (DPT) from the University of Mississippi. She obtained a credentialing certificate from the McKenzie Institute in 2011 and the CEEAA credential in 2014 from the Academy of Geriatric Physical Therapy, an affiliate of the American Physical Therapy Association. In 2019, she completed the requirements for the Advanced Credentialed Exercise Expert for Aging Adults (ACEEAA) through the Academy of Geriatric Physical Therapy. Calista has been licensed as a physical therapist since 2001 and has worked as a clinician in a variety of settings, including ICU, outpatient orthopedics/sports medicine, neuro, SNF/LTC, LTACH, wound care, home health, and pediatrics. Her practice interests are spine care, jurisprudence and healthcare law, orthopedics, acute care, wound care, and temporomandibular disorders.
More
Financial: Calista Kelly is employed by Continued.com.
Non-Financial: Calista Kelly has no non-financial disclosures.
Sponsor Disclosure: This Course is presented by PhysicalTherapy.com, a Continued site.
Content Disclosure: This learning event does not focus exclusively on any specific product or service.
Course participation information
To ensure you are ready to participate, please complete our short Test Drive to prepare your computer to view the course.
NOTE: Full attendance for all courses is mandatory. For self-study courses, this includes reading the full text, listening to the full audio recording, or watching the complete video, as appropriate for the format of the course.
Passing an online exam and completing a course evaluation will be required to earn continuing education credit.
Live Webinars allow presenter and participant interaction. The exam and course evaluation for these courses must be completed within 7 days of the event.
On-demand courses include texts, video and audio recordings of live webinars, and multimedia formats. The exam and course evaluation for on-demand courses must be completed within 30 days of course registration.
To participate in the course, complete the exam and course evaluation, and earn continuing education credit, you must be a PhysicalTherapy.com member. Participants must complete the entire course; partial credit is not allowed.
PhysicalTherapy.com is committed to ensuring accessibility to the widest possible audience. We are continually improving the user experience for everyone. If you have questions, requests, or would like to report an accessibility-related issue, please email [email protected]. We will review your request and respond in a timely manner.
Visit our Contact us page or give us a call if you have questions.
California
PhysicalTherapy.com is a recognized continuing competency approval agency for the Physical Therapy Board of California. This course is offered for 1.00 hours of continuing competency.
CE Broker
PhysicalTherapy.com is approved to report to CE Broker for PTs and PTAs licensed in the states of AR, AZ, FL, GA, KS, MI, MS, ND, NV, OK, SC and TN, and ATs licensed in the states of AZ, KS, LA, MI, TN, and WI. CE Provider #: 50-14089. If you are a PT/PTA or AT in one of these states, CE Broker may be of interest to you.
Washington D.C.
The District of Columbia Board of Physical Therapy (Board) has established that PhysicalTherapy.com is an approved continuing education provider for DC physical therapists and physical therapist assistants. Licensees must adhere to all other continuing education regulations of the Board, including those related to online courses and content.
International Association for Continuing Education and Training
continued, LLC, DBA PhysicalTherapy.com, is accredited by the International Association for Continuing Education and Training (IACET). continued complies with the ANSI/IACET Standard, which is recognized internationally as a standard of excellence in instructional practices. As a result of this accreditation, continued is authorized to issue the IACET CEU. continued, LLC, is authorized by IACET to offer 0.10 CEUs for this program.
IL Physical Therapy Continuing Education Sponsor
PhysicalTherapy.com is approved by the Illinois Department of Professional Regulation as a sponsor of continuing education for PTs/PTAs (Sponsor License #216000252). This course is offered for 1.00 hours (unknown level).
New Mexico
This course is offered for 1.00 hours (Introductory level) by the New Mexico Board of Physical Therapy.
New York
PhysicalTherapy.com is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Physical Therapy as an approved provider of physical therapy and physical therapist assistant continuing education.
Oklahoma
PhysicalTherapy.com is an Approved Provider by the Oklahoma State Board of Medical Licensure & Supervision for Physical Therapists, PT CE Provider BAP202310006. This course is offered for 1.00 hours of continuing education for Oklahoma PTs/PTAs.
Texas Physical Therapy Association
This course is offered for 1.00 hours (Introductory level) by the Texas Physical Therapy Association. The assignment of Texas PT CCUs does not imply endorsement of specific course content, products, or clinical procedures by TPTA or TBPTE. The Texas Physical Therapy Association (TPTA) administers the CCAP on behalf of the Texas Board of Physical Therapy Examiners (Provider #2706033TX).
We recognize that state CE requirements are constantly changing. If you have any questions regarding our courses and your state requirements, please contact us at 866-782-6258 or contact Customer Service.