Visual Learning Equity: A Course Auditing System of Skin Color in Preclinical Medical Education.

Autor: Lamb JE; University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA., Stone AX; University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA., Davis EM; Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA., James AJ; Department of Dermatology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: Family medicine [Fam Med] 2023 Jun; Vol. 55 (6), pp. 375-380. Date of Electronic Publication: 2023 Mar 13.
DOI: 10.22454/FamMed.2023.766642
Abstrakt: Background and Objectives: Visual learning equity is a health justice effort in response to the lack of representation of brown and black skin images in medical education. This paucity creates a knowledge gap and decreases providers' competence in managing skin disease in minoritized populations. Herein, we aimed to create a standardized course auditing system to assess the use of brown and black skin images in medical education.
Methods: We performed a cross-sectional analysis of the 2020-2021 preclinical curriculum at one US medical school. All human images in the learning material were analyzed. Skin color was categorized as light/white, medium/brown, and dark/black using the Massey-Martin New Immigrant Survey Skin Color Scale.
Results: We included 1,660 unique images in our analysis; 71.3%, (n=1,183) were light/white, 16.1% (n=267) were medium/brown and 12.7% (n=210) were dark/black. Dermatologic images of skin, hair, nails, or mucosal disease made up 62.1% (n=1,031) of the images and 68.1% (n=702) were light/white. The pulmonary course presented the highest proportion of light/white skin (88.0%, n=44/50) and the dermatology course presented the lowest proportion of light/white skin (59.0%, n=301/510). Images of infectious diseases were more frequently presented in darker skin colors (χ2 [2]=15.46, P<.001).
Conclusions: Light/white skin was the standard used for visual learning images in the medical school curriculum at this institution. The authors outline steps to perform a curriculum audit and diversify medical curricula to ensure the next generation of physicians are educated to care for all patients.
Databáze: MEDLINE