Investigating patient characteristics on pain assessment using virtual human technology.

ABSTRACT: Pain assessment and treatment is challenging and can be influenced by patient demographic characteristics. Few research studies have been able to specifically examine these influences experimentally. The present study investigated the effects of patients' sex, race, age, and pain expression on healthcare students' assessment of pain and pain-related sequelae using virtual human (VH) technology. A lens model design was employed, which is an analogue method for capturing how individuals use environmental information to make judgments. In this study, decision-making policies were captured at the nomothetic and idiographic level. Participants included 107 healthcare students who viewed 32 VH patients that differed in sex, race, age, and pain expression in an online study. Participants provided

SUBMITTER: Stutts LA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2980573 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature