Do Contact and Empathy Mitigate Bias Against Gay and Lesbian People Among Heterosexual First-Year Medical Students? A Report From the Medical Student CHANGE Study
Do Contact and Empathy Mitigate Bias Against Gay and Lesbian People Among Heterosexual First-Year Medical Students? A Report From the Medical Student CHANGE Study
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DOI：
10.1097/acm.0000000000000661
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发表时间：
2015-05-01
影响因子：
7.4
通讯作者：
van Ryn, Michelle
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Burke, Sara E.;Dovidio, John F.;van Ryn, Michelle
医学研究所最近的一份报告得出结论，男女同性恋者面临着医疗保健提供者的歧视，并呼吁对提供者的态度进行研究。医学院是改善未来提供者对待性少数群体的关键时刻。本研究探讨了一年级医学生对女同性恋者和男同性恋者的外显偏见和内隐偏见，重点是这种偏见的两个预测因素，接触和同情。MethodThis研究包括4,441名异性恋一年级医学生，他们参加了医学生认知习惯和成长评估研究的基线调查，该研究在2010年秋季对49所美国医学院进行了分层随机抽样。研究人员使用感觉温度计自我评估来测量对同性恋者的外显态度，使用内隐联想测试来测量内隐态度，使用自我报告项目来测量接触的数量和可接受性，以及使用人际反应指数的子量表来测量同理心。（45.79%; 956/2,088）的受访者在两个偏见措施的完整数据表达至少有一些明确的偏见，（81.51%; 1，702/2，088）对男同性恋者和女同性恋者表现出一定程度的内隐偏见。接触的数量和可解释性都能预测积极的内隐和外显态度。认知和情感的同理心预测积极的外显态度，但不是内隐的attitudes.ConclusionsThe患病率的负面态度提出了一个重要的挑战，医学教育，强调需要更多的研究可能的原因偏见。关于接触和同情的调查结果表明，可能采取基于性别的干预措施，以确保为性少数群体提供高质量的护理。
PurposeA recent Institute of Medicine report concluded that lesbian and gay individuals face discrimination from health care providers and called for research on provider attitudes. Medical school is a critical juncture for improving future providers' treatment of sexual minorities. This study examined both explicit bias and implicit bias against lesbian women and gay men among first-year medical students, focusing on two predictors of such bias, contact and empathy.MethodThis study included the 4,441 heterosexual first-year medical students who participated in the baseline survey of the Medical Student Cognitive Habits and Growth Evaluation Study, which employed a stratified random sample of 49 U.S. medical schools in fall 2010. The researchers measured explicit attitudes toward gay and lesbian people using feeling thermometer self-assessments, implicit attitudes using the Implicit Association Test, amount and favorability of contact using self-report items, and empathy using subscales of the Interpersonal Reactivity Index.ResultsNearly half (45.79%; 956/2,088) of respondents with complete data on both bias measures expressed at least some explicit bias, and most (81.51%; 1,702/2,088) exhibited at least some implicit bias against gay and lesbian individuals. Both amount and favorability of contact predicted positive implicit and explicit attitudes. Both cognitive and emotional empathy predicted positive explicit attitudes, but not implicit attitudes.ConclusionsThe prevalence of negative attitudes presents an important challenge for medical education, highlighting the need for more research on possible causes of bias. Findings on contact and empathy point to possible curriculum-based interventions aimed at ensuring high-quality care for sexual minorities.