Personal appearance 'influences NHS treatment'
Doctors give preferential treatment to patients they view as more attractive
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Friday, 29, Sep 2006 08:08
How a patient looks has a direct impact on the quality of treatment he or she receives from doctors, it has been claimed.
A study published in today's Journal of Health Services Research and Policy argues that the central NHS commitment to equity is being undermined by an unconscious preference among GPs for those who look wealthier.
GPs, presented with pictures of a variety of parents from different socio-economic backgrounds by researchers, instinctively chose those who looked younger and those who appeared better off as the more attractive patients.
"While it is unfortunate that we judge people on their appearance, the psychology literature shows that humans are conditioned to do so," Dr Dermot O'Reilly, who co-authored the report, said.
"Our study has found that this also occurs during the patient/doctor encounter. GPs and health workers should be aware of this potential bias and try to offset it in the way they interact with their patients to ensure that deprived patients are not inadvertently further disadvantaged."
Dr O'Reilly said that psychologists have already established that those from disadvantaged backgrounds are more likely to receive shorter consultations, receive less information [and] are less likely to get a prescription or to be referred to specialist care".