ERIC Number: EJ808456
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2006-Oct
Pages: 5
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1042-9670
EISSN: N/A
Gender Bias in the Diagnosis of a Geriatric Standardized Patient: A Potential Confounding Variable
Lewis, Roya; Lamdan, Ruth M.; Wald, David; Curtis, Michael
Academic Psychiatry, v30 n5 p392-396 Oct 2006
Background: Gender bias has been reported in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with a variety of illnesses. In the context of our 10-station fourth year Objective Structured Clinical Evaluation, we queried whether this could influence diagnosis in a geriatric case. Case writers hypothesized that, due to this bias, the female standardized patient may be diagnosed with depression more often than the male. Method: A male or female geriatric standardized patient protrayed a dysphoric widow with mild cognitive impairment. Students examined the patient and documented the clinical encounter and their differential diagnosis. Results: Major depression was diagnosed in 93/107 female standardized patient encounters compared with 58/78 male exams, with the female students contributing most to this difference. Discussion: The potential for gender bias in medical care and in education remains a concern. We need to be mindful of this when designing clinical skills assessments.
Descriptors: Medical Services, Identification, Geriatrics, Patients, Clinical Experience, Gender Bias, Depression (Psychology), Clinical Diagnosis, Psychological Patterns, Widowed, Females, Medical Students, Graduate Medical Education, Older Adults, Cognitive Ability, Mental Disorders, Predictor Variables
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A