Unmasking bias and perception of lead surgeons in the operating room: A simulation based study.

Background Perception of a surgeon based on physical attributes in the operating room (OR) environment has not been assessed, which was our primary goal. Methods A common OR scenario was simulated using 8 different actors as a lead surgeon with combinations of age ( 55), race (white vs. black), and gender (male vs. female). One video scenario with a survey was electronically distributed to surgeons, residents, and OR nurses/staff. The overall rating, assessment, and perception of the lead surgeon were assessed. Results Of 974 respondents, 64.5% were females. There were significant differences in the rating and assessment based upon surgeon's age (p = .01) favoring older surgeons. There were significant differences in the assessments of surgeons by the study group (p = .03). The positive assessments as well as perceptions trended highest towards male, older, and white surgeons, especially in the stressful situation. Conclusion While perception of gender bias may be widespread, age and race biases may also play a role in the OR. Inter-professional education training for OR teams could be developed to help alleviate such biases.