Graduate Theses and Dissertations (2019 - present)
Date of Award
8-2025
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Ph.D.
Department
Systems Engineering
Committee Chair
Sean Walker
Abstract
A growing number of patients in the US come from diverse backgrounds, but healthcare professionals may not always reflect this diversity. Because of this, healthcare professionals may develop unintentional cognitive biases resulting from cultural stereotypes. This can perpetuate health inequities, affecting interactions between patients and clinicians, hiring, and promotion. Unconscious bias training can help healthcare professionals mitigate this issue by enabling them to identify, acknowledge, and minimize their biases. Ultimately, this can create a more respectful, safe, and diverse workplace. Simulation-based training using virtual patients has become increasingly popular among medical professionals. This type of training allows students to practice scenarios, make mistakes, reflect, receive feedback, and develop clinical skills without compromising patient safety. In addition to promoting ethical decision-making, virtual patients can increase learners' enthusiasm and engagement in their educational pursuits. Using virtual patients, this study aims to identify or trigger unconscious biases among final-year medical students based on race, age, biological sex, socioeconomic status, and weight, utilizing a system framework. A unique feature of this study is the use of virtual patients to trigger unconscious biases.
Recommended Citation
Khan, Mohammed Nasfikur Rahman, "Designing an Unconscious Bias Triggering System by Virtual Patients" (2025). Graduate Theses and Dissertations (2019 - present). 224.
https://jagworks.southalabama.edu/theses_diss/224
Included in
Bioethics and Medical Ethics Commons, Integrative Medicine Commons, Medical Education Commons, Other Analytical, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Techniques and Equipment Commons, Other Medicine and Health Sciences Commons, Systems and Integrative Engineering Commons