Patient Perceptions on Physician Education and Quality by Race

Last registered on June 03, 2021
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Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Patient Perceptions on Physician Education and Quality by Race
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0007745
Initial registration date
June 03, 2021

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
June 03, 2021, 5:30 PM EDT

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
Ayotomiwa Ojo
Affiliation
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Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name
Marcella Alsan
PI Affiliation
Harvard Kennedy School
Contact Investigator

Additional Trial Information

Status
In development
Start date
2021-06-07
End date
2021-12-17
Keywords
Health
Additional Keywords
healthcare, patient experiences, patient preferences, race
JEL code(s)
Secondary IDs
Abstract
Research has documented positive effects of doctor-patient race concordance, suggesting that increasing diversity among healthcare professionals may play an important role in addressing well-documented racial health disparities in the US. It also remains critical to improve the quality of interactions in race discordant doctor-patient relationships. However, as we consider policies to increase the number of minority healthcare professionals, especially among doctors, questions about the equilibrium effects of such initiatives naturally emerge. In this project, we examine whether and how patients vary their perceptions of healthcare professionals by race. Significant variation in the perceived quality of minority healthcare professionals could adversely affect the quality and effectiveness of healthcare interactions involving these professionals. Moreover, the range of potential negative patient attitudes that could be encountered in day-to-day clinical practice may also be considered an anticipatory tax and another barrier for prospective minority trainees.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Alsan, Marcella and Ayotomiwa Ojo. 2021. "Patient Perceptions on Physician Education and Quality by Race." AEA RCT Registry. June 03. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.7745-1.0
Sponsors & Partners
Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
We plan to recruit subjects and randomly assign them to one of four treatments. In each treatment arm, the subject will view a photo of a man. We experimentally vary treatment along two dimensions: whether the man is wearing expert vs. layperson attire and whether the man is white vs. Black. Our outcomes of interest are subjects’ beliefs about educational attainment and perceived quality as measured by subjects’ willingness to accept medical advice for non-urgent health issues or participate in a clinical trial being led by the individual in the photo.
Intervention Start Date
2021-06-07
Intervention End Date
2021-12-17

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
Our outcomes of interest are subjects’ beliefs about educational attainment, perceived occupation of the man in the photo, and perceived quality as measured by subjects’ willingness to accept medical advice for non-urgent health issues or participate in a clinical trial being led by the individual in the photo.
Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
The secondary outcomes are respondents' willingness to wait for their preferred patient-provider and the respondents' perceived attractiveness of the man in the photo.
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
We will have 4 treatment bins. There will be an equal proportion of individuals randomized to each treatment bin. In each treatment bin, the subject will view a photo of a man. We experimentally vary treatment along two dimensions: whether the man is wearing expert vs. layperson attire and whether the man is white vs. black.
Experimental Design Details
Randomization Method
Randomization will be done by Qualtircs software.
Randomization Unit
individual
Was the treatment clustered?
No

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
1500 individuals
Sample size: planned number of observations
1500 individuals
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
375 individuals in each treatment bin
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
Calculated sample size to have 80% power to detect an interaction parameter (≈-.4), based on a simulation of 1000 repetitions: N = 1500
Supporting Documents and Materials
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
Harvard University
IRB Approval Date
2021-05-13
IRB Approval Number
IRB21-0682
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