Using Forum Theater as a Teaching Tool to Combat Patient Bias Directed Toward Health Care Professionals

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Health Care Disparities
• Professional Development

Background:

• Underrepresented and minority health care professionals encounter bias from patients and families.
• Such bias disrupts professional environments, causes distress, and poses legal risks.
• Limited educational resources exist for managing these challenging interactions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate an educational intervention for health care professionals.
• To equip participants with strategies for responding to patient bias professionally.
• To maintain the integrity of the provider-patient relationship during bias incidents.

Main Methods:

• A stepwise educational activity was developed over one year, evolving through grand rounds, workshops, and series formats.
• Over 200 physicians and health care professionals participated.
• An adapted forum theater approach was used, involving role-playing scenarios of oppression.

Main Results:

• Participant feedback was overwhelmingly positive across all formats.
• Attendees emphasized the importance of addressing workplace bias.
• There was a strong recommendation to expand the educational sessions' duration, frequency, and scope.

Conclusions:

• Forum theater is an effective methodology for health care education.
• This approach teaches appropriate responses to patient bias while preserving the therapeutic relationship.
• Positive reception indicates strong potential for future development and implementation.