Explicit Bias Toward High-Income Country Research: A Randomized, Blinded, Crossover Experiment Of English Clinicians
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Unconscious bias may interfere with the interpretation of research from some settings, particularly from lower-income countries. Most studies of this phenomenon have relied on indirect outcomes such as article citation counts and publication rates; few have addressed or proven the effect of unconscious bias in evidence interpretation. In this randomized, blinded crossover experiment in a sample of 347 English clinicians, we demonstrate that changing the source of a research abstract from a low- to a high-income country significantly improves how it is viewed, all else being equal. Using fixed-effects models, we measured differences in ratings for strength of evidence, relevance, and likelihood of referral to a peer. Having a high-income-country source had a significant overall impact on respondents’ ratings of relevance and recommendation to a peer. Unconscious bias can have far-reaching implications for the diffusion of knowledge and innovations from low-income countries.
Date Issued
2017-11-01
Date Acceptance
2017-10-17
Citation
Health Affairs, 2017, 36 (11), pp.1997-2004
ISSN
0278-2715
Publisher
Project HOPE
Start Page
1997
End Page
2004
Journal / Book Title
Health Affairs
Volume
36
Issue
11
Copyright Statement
Copyright Project HOPE—The People-to-People Health Foundation, Inc.
Sponsor
Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust- BRC Funding
Grant Number
RDB04
Subjects
Science & Technology
Life Sciences & Biomedicine
Health Care Sciences & Services
Health Policy & Services
REVERSE INNOVATION
TRIAL
GENERALIZABILITY
METAANALYSIS
JOURNALS
QUALITY
AFRICA
GENDER
CARE
Evidence-Based Medicine
International/global health studies
Physicians
1117 Public Health And Health Services
1402 Applied Economics
Publication Status
Published