Patient representation in New Zealand general practice and rural health case-based teaching: a quality improvement exercise
Jessica Gu 1 , Jim Ross
1 , Sharon Leitch 1 *
1 Department of General Practice and Rural Health, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
Journal of Primary Health Care 15(3) 281-287 https://doi.org/10.1071/HC23070
Published: 7 August 2023
Abstract
Healthcare inequity disproportionately affects minority populations in Aotearoa New Zealand. Healthcare providers may contribute to inequity due to their biases. Medical education can unintentionally promote biases by reinforcing stereotypes or limiting exposure to diversity. Teaching staff from the Department of General Practice and Rural Health suggested a need to review current teaching materials to ascertain if they have the potential to contribute to this bias.
The aim of this study was to review case-based teaching material to determine its representation of the New Zealand population, and whether there is potential to contribute to implicit bias.
Document analysis of 135 cases used to teach fourth- and fifth-year medical students in the Department of General Practice and Rural Health, Otago Medical School was performed. Demographic, clinical and social features of each case were recorded and analysed.
Cases typically included patient age (129/135, 95.6%), sex (127/135, 94.1%) and occupation status (91/136, 66.9%). Ethnicity (31/135, 23.0%), living situation (55/135, 40.7%), relationship status (57/135, 42.2%) and sexual orientation (52/135, 40.0%) were less frequently defined. Cases typically represented the population majority norms.
Case-based teaching materials require regular review and updating to match population demographics. There is potential to improve representation of diversity, and hence cultural safety, though review and revision of written teaching cases.
Keywords: bias, clinical teaching, diversity, equity, inclusion, medical education, minority groups, New Zealand, representation.
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