How to Spot Unconscious Bias + Find a Diabetes Doctor Who Actually Listens

Everyone deserves a healthcare provider who treats you like a whole person. Not a number, not a chart and not a set of assumptions based on how you look or what insurance card you hand over. 

But if you’ve ever felt rushed, dismissed or talked at (instead of talked to) during a diabetes appointment, you know that not every healthcare provider offers the support you actually deserve.

Research backs up what many people of color already know from experience. Studies have shown that health care providers are more verbally dominant and engage in less person-centered communication with Black people than with white people. Trust between people with diabetes and your care team is directly linked to better blood sugar control. This means that your relationship with your healthcare provider is part of your treatment. Finding the right healthcare provider isn’t a “nice-to-have.”  It’s a clinical need.

Let’s dive into how you can look for the right healthcare provider who makes you feel like a partner in your own care.

Why should you interview your healthcare provider?

You’re allowed to treat finding a healthcare provider the same way you’d treat any other major decision: by asking questions before you commit. 

Most people don’t realize that you can schedule an introductory visit or use a first appointment to evaluate whether a healthcare provider is the right fit—not just clinically, but personally.

You’ll want to pay attention to the basics, like:

• Do they make eye contact? 
• Do they ask about your life beyond your blood sugar? 
• Do they explain what they’re doing and why, or do they just hand you a prescription and a pamphlet? 

A healthcare provider who rushes you through a 10-minute appointment is probably not going to give you the quality of care you’re looking for.

How do you check for unconscious bias?

While you can’t give your healthcare provider a bias test in the exam room, you can notice patterns the way they engage—or don’t—engage with you.

A 2024 review in Clinical Diabetes found that when healthcare providers have “hidden” or unconscious biases, it hurts the quality of healthcare. This may look like: Healthcare providers doing most of the talking instead of listening to what you want and making decisions without asking for your input. This kind of interaction leads to less effective medical treatment overall.

Ask yourself: 

• Does this provider talk to me the same way they’d talk to anyone? 
• Do they assume I can’t afford or manage certain treatments without asking? 
• Have they ever offered me diabetes technology, or do I always have to bring it up?

Many Black and Latinx people with type 1 diabetes reported never being offered a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) or insulin pump—even after years of care—because healthcare providers acted as gatekeepers to information and prescriptions.

So if your healthcare provider is always the one to direct where the conversation is going and doesn’t make you feel like you have an active role in your care, it may be time to find someone new.

What should you ask a new healthcare provider?

You don’t need a medical degree to ask good questions. Here are a few that can tell you a lot about how a healthcare provider thinks and whether they’ll work with you or just at you:

• “How do you approach diabetes technology? Do you recommend it to all of your people with diabetes or only some?” This reveals whether they have a standard approach or make subjective calls about who “deserves” certain tools.
• “How do you handle it when a person disagrees with your recommendation?” You want someone who sees disagreement as a conversation, not a compliance problem.
• “What do you know about the communities you serve?” Cultural competency research emphasizes that effective care requires understanding cultural attitudes about food, medication, family roles and communication styles—not just knowing the clinical guidelines.
• “Can you explain what [term] means in plain language?” This one is a test in itself. A healthcare provider who gets annoyed by this question is telling you something.

How do you find a healthcare provider who fights alongside you?

The right healthcare provider doesn’t just manage your diabetes. They partner with you on it. That means listening to your goals—not just their clinical targets—and respecting your lived experience as expertise.

If you’re looking for a provider who shares your racial or cultural background, tools like HUED, Health in Her HUE and BlackDoctor.org can help you search by identity and language. You can also call your insurance company directly and ask to filter by language, specialty and background. The Association of Diabetes Care and Education Specialists also has a search tool for finding certified diabetes educators in your area.

If you’re looking for a healthcare provider who is the same as you but isn’t available (and given that only about 5% of physicians in the U.S. are Black, they often aren’t), you can look for someone who demonstrates cultural humility: a willingness to acknowledge what they don’t know about your experience and a genuine curiosity about how to support you better.

Your non-negotiables checklist for a healthcare provider

Before your next appointment, or your first one with a new provider, write down what matters most to you. This can include things like:

• Do they explain medical terms without you having to ask?
•  Do they offer diabetes technology proactively, or do you always have to bring it up?
•  Do they ask about your life (your schedule, your stress, your access to food and support?) 
• Do they respect your time, or are you always being rushed?
•  Do they listen to your concerns, or do they redirect to their agenda?
•  Do they involve you in decisions about your care? 
• Do you feel safe being honest with them about what’s working and what isn’t?

If the answer to most of these is no, it might be time to look for someone new. 

Remember: You’re not being difficult. You’re being smart and intentional about one of the most important working relationships in your life.

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