The role of outgroup dehumanization in healthcare disparities: A study with medical students

Healthcare disparities are a widespread form of discrimination of minorities in medical contexts Racially discordant interactions represent 75% of healthcare interactions in the USA (Penner et al., 2013). During racially discordant interactions, cognitive mechanisms such as implicit bias and racial prejudice of the physician have a massive impact, influencing patients’ satisfaction, perception of teamness and adherence to therapy. The aim of this research is to investigate for the first time the role of outgroup dehumanization in racially discordant medical interactions.