The Impact of Gender Stereotypes on Fiberoptic Intubation Performance

The Impact of Gender Stereotypes on Fiberoptic Intubation Performance: A Randomized Controlled Simulation Study

Gender bias and stereotypes have been recognized as pervasive factors influencing various aspects of society, including professional settings. Within the realm of medical practice, understanding the potential impacts of such biases on performance is of paramount importance. Anesthesiology, a field that demands technical precision, teamwork, and rapid decision-making, is not immune to the potential effects of gender stereotypes on performance outcomes. This study aims to explore the potential influence of gender stereotype manipulation and stereotype threat on the fiber-optic intubation (FOE) performance of female anesthesiology residents.

Stereotype threat refers to the apprehension individuals experience when their actions or abilities are evaluated within the context of negative stereotypes associated with their social group. Such threat has been shown to adversely affect cognitive and motor performance in various domains. In medical education, where skills are honed through training, understanding the role of stereotype threat is crucial to fostering equitable learning environments and ensuring patient safety.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Intubation; Difficult or Failed; Gender; Stereotype-threat
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: stereotype threat manipulation

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 51
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Turkey
  • İstanbul, Turkey
    • VKV Amerikan Hastanesi

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

1.Residents in the Department of Anesthesiology and Reanimation at Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine, who have completed their initial year of residency and have prior experience in FOE.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Not meeting the above criteria
2. Not willing to participate in the study

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Diagnostic
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Triple

Number of Arms

4

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Female anesthesiologists in the experimental group; Stereotype threat manipulation will be performed on the female anesthesiologist in the experimental group just before they are taken into the testing room.	Behavioral: stereotype threat manipulation; Stereotype threat is the thought that a person will be negatively evaluated and judged regarding a negative stereotype that belongs to the group to which he/ she belongs. Stereotype threat manipulation will be performed on the male and female participants in the experimental group just before they are taken into the testing room. For manipulation, the following sentences will be said to the participants in the experimental group: "We aim to compare fiberoptic intubation performance between male and female anesthesiologists. Additionally, we are investigating whether the high inclination of males towards computer games has any impact on their fiberoptic intubation success." The other participants (Control Group) will not be given any prior information.
No Intervention: Female anesthesiologists in the control group; The female anesthesiologists in the control group will not be given any prior information.
Experimental: Male anesthesiologist in the experimental group; Stereotype threat manipulation will be performed on the male anesthesiologist in the experimental group just before they are taken into the testing room.	Behavioral: stereotype threat manipulation; Stereotype threat is the thought that a person will be negatively evaluated and judged regarding a negative stereotype that belongs to the group to which he/ she belongs. Stereotype threat manipulation will be performed on the male and female participants in the experimental group just before they are taken into the testing room. For manipulation, the following sentences will be said to the participants in the experimental group: "We aim to compare fiberoptic intubation performance between male and female anesthesiologists. Additionally, we are investigating whether the high inclination of males towards computer games has any impact on their fiberoptic intubation success." The other participants (Control Group) will not be given any prior information.
No Intervention: Male anesthesiologist in the control group; The male anesthesiologists in the control group will not be given any prior information.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Fİberoptic Intubation (FOE) Performance	Change in FOE scores in the experimental group compared to the control group. Measurements were conducted on the ORSIM Bronchoscopy simulator using its own measurement parameters, including Task Completion Time (s), Collision Avoidance (%), and Final Score (min 0-100). A decrease in task completion time, an increase in collision avoidance percentage, and a higher final score indicate that the participant performed fiberoptic intubation more effectively.	During FOE simulation

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: V.K.V. American Hospital, Istanbul

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Steele CM, Aronson J. Stereotype threat and the intellectual test performance of African Americans. J Pers Soc Psychol. 1995 Nov;69(5):797-811. doi: 10.1037//0022-3514.69.5.797.
• Hall WJ, Chapman MV, Lee KM, Merino YM, Thomas TW, Payne BK, Eng E, Day SH, Coyne-Beasley T. Implicit Racial/Ethnic Bias Among Health Care Professionals and Its Influence on Health Care Outcomes: A Systematic Review. Am J Public Health. 2015 Dec;105(12):e60-76. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2015.302903. Epub 2015 Oct 15.
• Ankay Yilbas A, Canbay O, Akca B, Uzumcugil F, Melek A, Calis M, Vargel I. The effect of playing video games on fiberoptic intubation skills. Anaesth Crit Care Pain Med. 2019 Aug;38(4):341-345. doi: 10.1016/j.accpm.2018.11.012. Epub 2018 Dec 21.

Helpful Links

• Fiberoptic simulation device

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): November 15, 2023
• Primary Completion (Actual): November 17, 2023
• Study Completion (Actual): December 15, 2023

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: November 13, 2023
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: November 13, 2023
• First Posted (Actual): November 18, 2023

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): March 19, 2024
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 18, 2024
• Last Verified: March 1, 2024

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Fiberoptic Intubation; Gender Stereotype
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Mental Disorders; Neurodevelopmental Disorders; Stereotypic Movement Disorder
• Other Study ID Numbers: GenderAndFob

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: YES
• IPD Sharing Time Frame: at the and of the study
• IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type: STUDY_PROTOCOL; SAP; ICF; CSR

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No