According to a study published in the JAMA Network, Black individuals are almost twice more likely to believe medical information presented by a Black physician or patient than individuals of another race.
Research has shown that Black men were far more likely to be diagnosed with and die from prostate cancer than non-Hispanic white men. However, there is not enough information on Black men in online information about prostate cancer.
For this study, Dr. Stacy Loeb and colleagues sought to determine if race or other race-related factors influenced how people trusted online content about prostate cancer.
The study included 2,904 adults aged 47-69. Most participants were Black (59%) and men (62%). The participants were asked to complete an online survey to determine trust in medical information. The researchers then randomly assigned the participants to watch some videos with information about prostate cancer screening or clinical trials. The videos had four male presenters (a Black physician, a White physician, a Black patient, and a White patient). The primary outcome measured was the differences in trust.
The researchers observed that Black individuals were 1.6 times more likely to believe the accuracy of an online video about prostate cancer when Black physicians or patients presented it compared with White presenters. However, White adults expressed similar trust when comparing Black vs. White presenters.
The researchers also observed that study participants, regardless of race, were more likely to trust information about prostate cancer screening than they would about clinical trials.
“The most important take-home messages are the importance of increasing racial diversity and physician participation in the dissemination of online information about prostate cancer to improve trust and uptake,” Dr. Stacy told Healio.
“[There is] also a great need for more public education about clinical trials,” she added. “We should continue to educate our patients and their families about the importance of clinical research to advance human health and the protections that are in place for research participants.”
Source: HEALIO
Journal source: JAMA NETWORK
