Racial implicit bias and communication among physicians in a simulated environment (20 March 2024)

Summary

This JAMA Network Open study aimed to explore whether standardised patients in a simulated environment can be effectively used to explore racial implicit bias and communication skills among doctors. For this cross-sectional study, 60 doctors were placed in an environment calibrated with cognitive stressors common to clinical environments. The results reflected expected communication patterns based on prior research (performed in actual clinical environments) on racial implicit bias and physician communication. The authors believe that this simulation and the process of its development can inform interventions that provide opportunities for skills development and assessment of skills in addressing racial implicit bias.