EP406: Dr Sara Tariq on Bias and Emotional Intelligence

Welcome to my podcast. I am Doctor Warrick Bishop, and I want to help you to live as well as possible for as long as possible. I’m a practising cardiologist, best-selling author, keynote speaker, and the creator of The Healthy Heart Network. I have over 20 years as a specialist cardiologist and a private practice of over 10,000 patients. Podcast Summary: EP406 - Dr. Sara Tariq on Bias and Emotional Intelligence Introduction Dr. Auric Bishop, a cardiologist and CEO of the Healthy Heart Network, hosts this episode featuring Dr. Sara Tariq, an internal medicine physician with over 20 years of experience and expertise in medical bias, women's health, and equality. The episode explores the critical topics of unconscious bias in healthcare, personalized chronic disease management, and emotional intelligence—all essential elements for delivering compassionate, effective patient care. Key Takeaways: Unconscious bias exists in all physicians despite training to heal and care; these biases are shaped by culture, upbringing, and environment but can significantly worsen patient outcomes, particularly affecting Black patients with cardiac conditions and other marginalized groups. The Harvard Implicit Association Test (Harvard IAT) is a free, validated self-assessment tool available online that helps healthcare professionals identify their own unconscious biases across multiple demographics including race, weight, gender, sexual orientation, and religion. Medical schools across the United States are implementing implicit bias workshops for both faculty and students to raise awareness and combat unconscious bias before it impacts patient care. Trust and genuine care form the foundation of effective medical relationships; patients are unlikely to adhere to treatment plans or engage in lifestyle changes without first believing their physician cares about them. Personalized chronic disease care requires viewing patients as equal partners in decision-making, empowering them through feeling heard and validated rather than simply prescribing treatment. Chronic illness triggers four major emotional experiences in patients: isolation, loss of function and identity, uncertainty about the future, and erosion of trust in physicians and healthcare systems. Language matters critically in medicine; describing conditions as "ticking time bombs" creates unnecessary anxiety and uncertainty rather than helping patients manage their emotional experience of illness. Patients experience chronic disease diagnosis similarly to grief, moving through stages of mourning for their lost health, requiring physicians to provide emotional support during this process rather than clinical detachment. Emotional intelligence—the ability to recognize and respond to emotions in oneself and others in real time—is an essential skill for physicians that directly improves patient motivation, adherence, and health outcomes.