A Doctor's Foreign Accent Affects Perceptions of Competence.

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Psychology
• Sociolinguistics

Background:

• Many physicians practice medicine internationally, often speaking with a foreign accent.
• Preconceived notions can lead to negative assumptions about individuals with foreign accents.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate whether foreign-accented doctors are perceived as less competent than those with standard accents.
• To examine patient bias in healthcare settings based on physician accent.

Main Methods:

• Undergraduate students (Caucasian Canadian and Chinese Canadian) evaluated doctor competence.
• Ratings were based on a doctor speaking English with a standard Canadian or Chinese accent.
• The doctor delivered either good or bad news regarding patient health outcomes (cholesterol or cancer).

Main Results:

• Doctors with a Chinese accent were rated as less competent than those with a standard Canadian accent by all participants.
• Both accented and standard-accented doctors were perceived as less competent when delivering bad news compared to good news.
• Results indicate a negative bias against foreign-accented doctors' competence.

Conclusions:

• Foreign-accented doctors may face significant patient bias regarding their perceived competence.
• Patient perceptions are influenced by a doctor's accent, potentially impacting the patient-physician relationship.
• Addressing and mitigating accent-based bias in healthcare is crucial for equitable patient care.