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Phelan SM, Puhl RM, Burgess DJ, Natt N, Mundi M, Miller NE, Saha S, Fischer K, van Ryn M. The role of weight bias and role-modeling in medical students' patient-centered communication with higher weight standardized patients. PATIENT EDUCATION AND COUNSELING 2021; 104:1962-1969. [PMID: 33487507 DOI: 10.1016/j.pec.2021.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2020] [Revised: 12/30/2020] [Accepted: 01/02/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Patients with obesity may experience less patient-centered care. We assessed whether medical students' implicit/explicit weight-related attitudes and perceptions of normative attitudes are associated with patient-centered care for patients with obesity. METHODS Third and fourth year medical students (N = 111) at one medical school completed a survey and participated in a patient care scenario with a standardized patient with obesity. Encounters were coded for patient-centered behavior. Predictors of patient-centered behaviors were assessed. RESULTS Student perceptions that negative attitudes about patients with obesity are normative in medical school were significantly associated with poorer patient-centered behaviors, including lower attentiveness (b=-0.19, p = 0.01), friendliness (b=-0.28, p < 0.001), responsiveness (b=-0.21, p = 0.002), respectfulness (b=-0.17, p = 0.003), interactivity (b=-0.22, p = 0.003), likelihood of being recommended by observers (b=-0.34, p < 0.001), and patient-centeredness index scores (b=-0.16, p = 0.002). Student reported faculty role-modeling of discrimination against patients with obesity predicted lower friendliness (b=-0.16, p = 0.03), recommendation likelihood (b=-0.22, p = 0.04), and patient-centeredness index score (b=-0.12, p = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS Negative normative attitudes and behaviors regarding obesity in the medical school environment may adversely influence the quality of patient-centered behaviors provided to patients with obesity. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS Efforts to improve patient-centered communication quality among medical trainees may benefit from intervention to improve group normative attitudes about patients with obesity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean M Phelan
- Division of Health Care Delivery Research, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
| | - Rebecca M Puhl
- Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity, University of Connecticut, Hartford, CT, USA; Department of Human Development & Family Studies, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA
| | - Diana J Burgess
- Center for Chronic Disease Outcomes Research, Minneapolis VA Health Care System, Minneapolis, MN, USA; Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Neena Natt
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, Metabolism, and Nutrition, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Manpreet Mundi
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, Metabolism, and Nutrition, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | | | - Somnath Saha
- VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, OR, USA; Department of Internal Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Kristin Fischer
- Division of Health Care Delivery Research, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Michelle van Ryn
- School of Nursing, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
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