Medical students' attitudes toward obese patient avatars of different skin color

Allen D. Andrade, Jorge G. Ruiz, Michael J. Mintzer, Pedro Cifuentes, Ramanakumar Anam, Joshua Diem, Orlando W Gomez-Marin, Huaping Sun, Bernard A. Roos

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution

9 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Physicians' biases for skin color and obesity may negatively affect health-care outcomes. Identification of these biases is the first step to address the problem. We randomized 128 U.S medical students into one of four animated videos of avatar physician-patient counseling sessions, varying the weight and skin color of an elderly patient avatar: white-thin, black-thin, white-obese and black-obese. Medical students viewed white obese avatars as unattractive, ugly, noncompliant, lazy, and sloppy. Medical students' comments suggested a paternalistic attitude toward avatar patients. Avatar-mediated experiences can elicit medical students' bias potentially enabling medical educators to implement bias reduction interventions.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationStudies in Health Technology and Informatics
Pages23-29
Number of pages7
Volume173
DOIs
StatePublished - Dec 1 2012
EventMedicine Meets Virtual Reality 19: NextMed, MMVR 2012 - Newport Beach, CA, United States
Duration: Feb 9 2012 → Feb 11 2012

Other

OtherMedicine Meets Virtual Reality 19: NextMed, MMVR 2012
CountryUnited States
CityNewport Beach, CA
Period2/9/12 → 2/11/12

Fingerprint

Skin Pigmentation
Medical Students
Skin
Students
Color
Physicians
Health care
Counseling
Obesity
Delivery of Health Care
Weights and Measures

Keywords

  • Avatars
  • Computer simulation
  • Health disparities
  • Physician bias
  • Undergraduate medical education

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Biomedical Engineering
  • Health Informatics
  • Health Information Management

Cite this

Andrade, A. D., Ruiz, J. G., Mintzer, M. J., Cifuentes, P., Anam, R., Diem, J., ... Roos, B. A. (2012). Medical students' attitudes toward obese patient avatars of different skin color. In Studies in Health Technology and Informatics (Vol. 173, pp. 23-29) https://doi.org/10.3233/978-1-61499-022-2-23

Medical students' attitudes toward obese patient avatars of different skin color. / Andrade, Allen D.; Ruiz, Jorge G.; Mintzer, Michael J.; Cifuentes, Pedro; Anam, Ramanakumar; Diem, Joshua; Gomez-Marin, Orlando W; Sun, Huaping; Roos, Bernard A.

Studies in Health Technology and Informatics. Vol. 173 2012. p. 23-29.

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution

Andrade, AD, Ruiz, JG, Mintzer, MJ, Cifuentes, P, Anam, R, Diem, J, Gomez-Marin, OW, Sun, H & Roos, BA 2012, Medical students' attitudes toward obese patient avatars of different skin color. in Studies in Health Technology and Informatics. vol. 173, pp. 23-29, Medicine Meets Virtual Reality 19: NextMed, MMVR 2012, Newport Beach, CA, United States, 2/9/12. https://doi.org/10.3233/978-1-61499-022-2-23
Andrade AD, Ruiz JG, Mintzer MJ, Cifuentes P, Anam R, Diem J et al. Medical students' attitudes toward obese patient avatars of different skin color. In Studies in Health Technology and Informatics. Vol. 173. 2012. p. 23-29 https://doi.org/10.3233/978-1-61499-022-2-23
Andrade, Allen D. ; Ruiz, Jorge G. ; Mintzer, Michael J. ; Cifuentes, Pedro ; Anam, Ramanakumar ; Diem, Joshua ; Gomez-Marin, Orlando W ; Sun, Huaping ; Roos, Bernard A. / Medical students' attitudes toward obese patient avatars of different skin color. Studies in Health Technology and Informatics. Vol. 173 2012. pp. 23-29
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