Racial implicit bias and communication among physicians in a simulated environment.
Clinicians' implicit racial bias can result in poor communication, poor patient care, and patients not returning for follow up. In this study, physicians participated in a simulated online patient visit, randomized to either a Black or white standardized patient (SP). Both the physician and SP were blinded to the true purpose of the study, which was to explore the association between the physician's implicit bias and the SP's rating of the physician's communication skills. Results show a significant association between physician bias and communication scores.