What question did this study set out to answer?

The study aims to investigate how implicit biases and time pressure affect medical decision-making among physicians.

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July 17, 2012

Racial-Ethnic Biases, Time Pressure, and Medical Decisions

Key Points

The study aims to investigate how implicit biases and time pressure affect medical decision-making among physicians.
81 family physicians and general internists participated by responding to a case vignette about a patient with chest pain.
Time pressure was experimentally manipulated to examine its effects on decision-making.
Implicit biases towards blacks and Hispanics were assessed in the context of the vignette.
Under high time pressure, physicians exhibited less serious diagnoses for patients described as black or Hispanic.
Physicians were less likely to refer black patients to specialists when under high time pressure.

Abstract

This study examined two types of potential sources of racial-ethnic disparities in medical care: implicit biases and time pressure. Eighty-one family physicians and general internists responded to a case vignette describing a patient with chest pain. Time pressure was manipulated experimentally. Under high time pressure, but not under low time pressure, implicit biases regarding blacks and Hispanics led to a less serious diagnosis. In addition, implicit biases regarding blacks led to a lower likelihood of a referral to specialist when physicians were under high time pressure. The results suggest that when physicians face stress, their implicit biases may shape medical decisions in ways that disadvantage minority patients.

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