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

Allen D. Andrade; Jorge G. Ruiz; Michael J. Mintzer; Pedro Cifuentes; Ramanakumar Anam; Josh Diem; Orlando Gómez-Marín; Huaping Sun; Bernard A. Roos

doi:10.3233/978-1-61499-022-2-23

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

Allen D. Andrade, Jorge G. Ruiz, Michael J. Mintzer, Pedro Cifuentes, Ramanakumar Anam, Josh Diem, Orlando Gómez-Marín, Huaping Sun, Bernard A. Roos

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

9 Scopus citations

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 language	English (US)
Title of host publication	Medicine Meets Virtual Reality 19
Subtitle of host publication	NextMed, MMVR 2012
Publisher	IOS Press
Pages	23-29
Number of pages	7
ISBN (Print)	9781614990215
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3233/978-1-61499-022-2-23
State	Published - Jan 1 2012
Event	Medicine Meets Virtual Reality 19: NextMed, MMVR 2012 - Newport Beach, CA, United States Duration: Feb 9 2012 → Feb 11 2012

Publication series

Name	Studies in Health Technology and Informatics
Volume	173
ISSN (Print)	0926-9630
ISSN (Electronic)	1879-8365

Other

Other	Medicine Meets Virtual Reality 19: NextMed, MMVR 2012
Country	United States
City	Newport Beach, CA
Period	2/9/12 → 2/11/12

Keywords

Avatars
Computer simulation
Health disparities
Physician bias
Undergraduate medical education

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Biomedical Engineering
Health Informatics
Health Information Management

Access to Document

10.3233/978-1-61499-022-2-23

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Cite this

Andrade, A. D., Ruiz, J. G., Mintzer, M. J., Cifuentes, P., Anam, R., Diem, J., Gómez-Marín, O., Sun, H., & Roos, B. A. (2012). Medical students' attitudes toward obese patient avatars of different skin color. In Medicine Meets Virtual Reality 19: NextMed, MMVR 2012 (pp. 23-29). (Studies in Health Technology and Informatics; Vol. 173). IOS Press. 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, Josh; Gómez-Marín, Orlando; Sun, Huaping; Roos, Bernard A.

Medicine Meets Virtual Reality 19: NextMed, MMVR 2012. IOS Press, 2012. p. 23-29 (Studies in Health Technology and Informatics; Vol. 173).

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

Andrade, AD, Ruiz, JG, Mintzer, MJ, Cifuentes, P, Anam, R, Diem, J, Gómez-Marín, O, Sun, H & Roos, BA 2012, Medical students' attitudes toward obese patient avatars of different skin color. in Medicine Meets Virtual Reality 19: NextMed, MMVR 2012. Studies in Health Technology and Informatics, vol. 173, IOS Press, 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, Allen D. ; Ruiz, Jorge G. ; Mintzer, Michael J. ; Cifuentes, Pedro ; Anam, Ramanakumar ; Diem, Josh ; Gómez-Marín, Orlando ; Sun, Huaping ; Roos, Bernard A. / Medical students' attitudes toward obese patient avatars of different skin color. Medicine Meets Virtual Reality 19: NextMed, MMVR 2012. IOS Press, 2012. pp. 23-29 (Studies in Health Technology and Informatics).

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