Video study of physician selection: preferences in the face of diversity.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether a diverse group of people would predominantly choose a white male physician regardless of group member's sex and ethnicity when given a choice among 6 actor-portrayed video doctors (males and females of Latino, European, and African descent) and whether further exposure would alter initial selections.


METHODS
Participants selected a video doctor after viewing a brief introduction and again after viewing the delivery of a prevention message.


METHODS
Three hundred ninety-five participants recruited at a shopping mall in the San Francisco Bay Area (61% female, 39% male; 30% Asian American, 29% European American, 26% Latino, 8% African American, and 7% other).


METHODS
Initial and final video doctor selections; ratings of video doctors on interpersonal qualities.


RESULTS
Most participants (85% of females and 63% of males) initially chose a female video doctor (P<.001) and even more did so at final selection. Approximately half initially chose a same-race video doctor (66% of European Americans, 51% of Latinos, and 50% of African Americans), but fewer did so at final selection (56% of European Americans, 44% of Latinos, and 52% of African Americans). In addition, at final selection 57% of Asian Americans and other-ethnicity participants chose a non-European American video doctor.


CONCLUSIONS
Many healthcare consumers will accept physicians of both sexes and of different races. After observing the video doctors demonstrate a professional and warm affect, participants became even more receptive to choosing a video doctor of a different race. Video doctor technology holds promise for increasing our understanding of patients' preferences.
Gerbert
Barbara
B
School of Dentistry and School of Medicine, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94117, USA. gerbert@itsa.ucsf.edu
Berg-Smith
Steven
S
Mancuso
Michelle
M
Caspers
Nona
N
Danley
Dale
D
Herzig
Karen
K
Brand
Richard
R
D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology; D001213:Asian / Q000523:psychology; D003466:Cultural Characteristics; D018864:Cultural Diversity; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000208:ethnology*; D017060:Patient Satisfaction / Q000208:ethnology*; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D012107:Research Design; D014481:United States; D014743:Videotape Recording; D044465:White People / Q000523:psychology