Medical Student BiasNCT01739257
Use of Theater to Invoke Empathy and Reduce Bias in Medical Students
A study testing Medical Lecture and Dramatic Reading in people with Medical Student Bias, run by University of California, Davis at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
The effect of medical humanities on medical student bias and clinical management is unclear. This study characterized medical student attitudes toward obese individuals and whether reading a play employing empathic characters can modulate negative reactions. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 99 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Medical Student Bias
- What is being tested?
- Medical Lecture and Dramatic Reading
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 129 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- Aug 2012to Nov 2012
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 to 99 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- medical student at UC Davis, UC Irvine, or Mayo Medical School
Who cannot join
- none
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
United States1 site
UC Davis School of Medicine
Sacramento, California, 95817
About this study
The effect of medical humanities on medical student bias and clinical management is unclear. This study characterized medical student attitudes toward obese individuals and whether reading a play employing empathic characters can modulate negative reactions.
- Conditions
- Medical Student Bias
- Being tested
- Medical Lecture, Dramatic Reading
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Medical LectureBehavioural
Dramatic ReadingBehavioural
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Theater | Experimental | 1-hour dramatic reading of "The Most Massive Woman Wins" Receives: Behavioral: Dramatic Reading |
| Lecture | Active comparator | 1-hour lecture on the medical management of obese patients Receives: Behavioral: Medical Lecture |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Explicit fat bias
Assessment of conscious bias against fat people (unit of measure from 11 to 99).
Measured: four months
implicit fat bias
Measurement using the implicit association test (IAT) with scores from -2.0 to +2.0.
Measured: four months
empathy scale
Score of Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy (JSPE) from 20 to 180.
Measured: four months
Secondary outcomes (2)
Patient-Centered Care
Open-ended question on the clinical management of an asymptomatic, obese, elderly woman who is otherwise healthy, with coding for a response that is either patient-centered (ie: asking patient preferences and goals) or prescriptive (ie: telling the patient to diet and/or exercise).
Measured: four months
Appraisal of obesity
An open-ended question asking participants whether they felt obesity was primarily an issue of discrimination (ie: civil rights) or a public health concern (ie: medical).
Measured: four months
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted3 Dec 2012 (estimated)
- Study startAug 2012
- Primary completionOct 2012
- Study completionNov 2012
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Medical Student BiasStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by University of California, DavisThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Other
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 129 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University of California, Davis
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- The Arnold P. Gold Foundation
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Richard L Kravitz, MD, MSPH, Principal investigator, UC Davis School of MedicineRachel Hammer, BA, Study director, Mayo Medical SchoolJohanna Shapiro, PhD, Study director, UC Irvine School of Medicine
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT01739257
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 254423
- Status last verified
- Apr 2023
- First submitted
- 26 Nov 2012
- Last updated
- 11 Apr 2023
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- Yes
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 11 Apr 2023. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Use of Theater to Invoke Empathy and Reduce Bias in Medical Students
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT01739257
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 254423
- Conditions
- Medical Student Bias
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 129 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- University of California, DavisUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- The Arnold P. Gold Foundation
- Study start
- Aug 2012
- Primary completion
- Oct 2012 (actual)
- Study completion
- Nov 2012 (actual)
- First posted
- 3 Dec 2012 (estimated)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The effect of medical humanities on medical student bias and clinical management is unclear. This study characterized medical student attitudes toward obese individuals and whether reading a play employing empathic characters can modulate negative reactions.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Other
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Theater | Experimental | Behavioral: Dramatic Reading1-hour dramatic reading of "The Most Massive Woman Wins" |
| Lecture | Active comparator | Behavioral: Medical Lecture1-hour lecture on the medical management of obese patients |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 99 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (1 listed)
- medical student at UC Davis, UC Irvine, or Mayo Medical School
Key exclusion criteria (1 listed)
- none
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Medical Lecture | Behavioural | Lecture |
| Dramatic Reading | Behavioural | Theater |
Primary outcome
Explicit fat bias
Time frame: four months
Assessment of conscious bias against fat people (unit of measure from 11 to 99).
implicit fat bias
Time frame: four months
Measurement using the implicit association test (IAT) with scores from -2.0 to +2.0.
empathy scale
Time frame: four months
Score of Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy (JSPE) from 20 to 180.
2 secondary outcomes
Patient-Centered Care
Time frame: four months
Appraisal of obesity
Time frame: four months
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 11 Apr 2023.
Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Richard L Kravitz, MD, MSPH principal investigator
UC Davis School of Medicine
Rachel Hammer, BA study director
Mayo Medical School
Johanna Shapiro, PhD study director
UC Irvine School of Medicine
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Medical Lecture and Dramatic Reading in people with Medical Student Bias, run by University of California, Davis at 1 site in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 1 inclusion and 1 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 11 Apr 2023. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Explicit fat bias (time frame: four months). The study lists 3 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 11 Apr 2023.