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Implicit racial bias among medical graduates and students by an IAT measure: a systematic review and meta-analysis

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Abstract

Introduction

Racial implicit bias is an unconscious response and behavior that affects interpersonal interactions and clinical decision-making.

Aims

We attempted to meta-analyze the scores of implicit association test (IAT) to estimate pooled quantity of implicit racial bias among medical graduates and students

Methods

As far as we know, our study is the first systematic-based meta-analysis estimating the pooled score of implicit racial bias among physicians and medical students. Keywords were searched in Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, PubMed, Science Direct, Cochrane, MEDLINE, Wiley online library, and ProQuest databases from 2011 since 2021. The IAT’s pooled score estimates through a fixed-effect meta-analysis using STATA 15. Also, I2 statistic was used to determine heterogeneity across the articles.

Results

Out of 1177 articles, 29 studies entered to analysis. The pooled score of IAT among physicians and medical students was 0.28 (95% CI 0.13 to 0.43) and 0.35 (95% CI 0.03 to 0.67), respectively. The racial bias score of physician ranged from −0.12 to 0.62. While score of implicit association test for medical student ranged from −0.01 to 1.29.

Conclusion

Our meta-analysis revealed that there was an implicit anti-black attitude among physicians and medical students, but the size of this implicit racial bias was small. Although the level of racial bias in physicians and medical students was low, it could be reduced to the lowest level through informative programs and training in ways to control implicit attitudes.

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Availability of data and materials

All data generated or analyzed during this study are included in this article.

Abbreviations

IAT:

Implicit association test

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Research Institute for Prevention of Non-Communicable Diseases, Qazvin University of Medical Sciences, Qazvin, Iran

    Bahman Ahadinezhad & Omid Khosravizadeh

  2. Student Research Committee, Qazvin University of Medical Sciences, Qazvin, Iran

    Aisa Maleki & Ailar Hashtroodi

Authors
  1. Bahman Ahadinezhad
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  2. Omid Khosravizadeh
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  3. Aisa Maleki
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  4. Ailar Hashtroodi
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Contributions

OKh contributed to the concept and design of the study. BAh contributed to the analysis and interpretation of the data. AMa and AHa contributed to the critical revision of the article and writing of the manuscript. All authors have read and approved the final manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Aisa Maleki.

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Ethical approval was obtained from the ethics committee of Qazvin University of Medical Sciences (ethics code IR. QUMS. REC. 1400. 247).

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Not applicable.

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The authors declare no competing interests.

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Ahadinezhad, B., Khosravizadeh, O., Maleki, A. et al. Implicit racial bias among medical graduates and students by an IAT measure: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Ir J Med Sci 191, 1941–1949 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11845-021-02756-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11845-021-02756-3

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