Can Diversity Restore Trust in The Healthcare System? Evidence from the African American Community

Last registered on February 20, 2025
View Trial History

Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Can Diversity Restore Trust in The Healthcare System? Evidence from the African American Community
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0015411
Initial registration date
February 19, 2025

Initial registration date is when the trial was registered.

It corresponds to when the registration was submitted to the Registry to be reviewed for publication.

First published
February 20, 2025, 6:06 AM EST

First published corresponds to when the trial was first made public on the Registry after being reviewed.

Locations

Country
United States of America
Region

Primary Investigator

Name
Hieu Nguyen
Affiliation
Southwestern University
Contact Primary Investigator

Other Primary Investigator(s)

Additional Trial Information

Status
In development
Start date
2025-02-26
End date
2025-03-31
Keywords
Behavior, Electoral, Governance, Health
Additional Keywords
JEL code(s)
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
This study explores African Americans' perception about racial diversity in the US medical workforce and related public policy.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Nguyen, Hieu. 2025. "Can Diversity Restore Trust in The Healthcare System? Evidence from the African American Community." AEA RCT Registry. February 20. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.15411-1.0
Sponsors & Partners
Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
Intervention (Hidden)
Intervention Start Date
2025-02-26
Intervention End Date
2025-03-05

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
proportion of experimental subjects deciding to "opt in" the main experiment; average subjective well-being; average levels of trust in different healthcare actors; perception about current levels of racial diversity in the US medical workforce and about related public policy
Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
The experiment consists of three main stages: (a) Demographic questionnaire; (b) Main experiment (trust game); and (c) Post-experiment questionnaire.

After answering a few basic demographic questions, subjects are randomly split into five groups (one group with no doctor assignment serving as the control group, and the remaining four groups each assigned a doctor belonging to a separate gender-racial category), and are told to imagine having an illness that requires medical attention. After seeing the doctor's posted treatment prices, subjects in the four experimental groups are given the option of engaging with the doctor or opting out completely. The survey ends with all subjects, regardless of whether they are in the control group or in one of the experimental groups, receiving the exact same set of questions about racial diversity in the US medical workforce and related public policy.
Experimental Design Details
Randomization Method
Randomization is done by Qualtrics' built-in randomization tool.
Randomization Unit
Individual
Was the treatment clustered?
No

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
250 individuals
Sample size: planned number of observations
250 individuals
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
50 in control group and 50 in each of the four treatment groups
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
Supporting Documents and Materials
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
Southwestern University Institutional Review Board
IRB Approval Date
2025-01-15
IRB Approval Number
SP25_01
Analysis Plan

Post-Trial

Post Trial Information

Study Withdrawal

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Intervention

Is the intervention completed?
No
Data Collection Complete
Data Publication

Data Publication

Is public data available?
No

Program Files

Program Files
Reports, Papers & Other Materials

Relevant Paper(s)

Reports & Other Materials