Using artistic-narrative to stimulate reflection on physician bias.

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Healthcare Disparities
• Physician Bias

Background:

• Physician bias significantly impacts patient care and health outcomes.
• Limited research exists on methods to enhance physician self-awareness regarding bias and stereotypes.
• Addressing physician bias is crucial for equitable healthcare delivery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore how second-year medical students reflected on an artistic-narrative presentation.
• To investigate student perceptions of culture and patient-provider relationships in healthcare.
• To understand the impact of narrative and art on medical student awareness of bias.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative interpretive thematic content analysis of 75 student essays.
• Essays were selected from 320 second-year medical student reflections on an artistic-narrative.
• Analysis focused on students' perceptions of culture and the patient-provider relationship.

Main Results:

• Students acknowledged physician bias in pain management.
• The exercise fostered empathetic views toward patients as individuals.
• Students recognized how biased beliefs contribute to healthcare disparities.

Conclusions:

• Integrating art, narrative, and reflection enhances medical students' self-awareness of bias.
• This pedagogical approach helps students identify how assumptions influence patient care.
• Findings suggest a pathway to mitigate bias and improve patient outcomes.