An Examination of Gender and Racial Representation of Full-Body Adult Mannequins: Attitudes,Barriers,and Opportunities for Inclusion in Simulation Training Facilities

Abstract

There are known disparities in patient outcomes in emergency medicine. Because first responder training is relatively brief, it is important they have representative training experiences. Given the limited marketing and availability of alternative simulators, we examine whether there is a limited and homogenous inventory for simulation training as one plausible contributing factor to these known disparities in patient care and outcomes. Respondents reported count and demographic mannequin information, barriers to purchasing diverse equipment, and rated the importance of various features on future purchasing decisions. Facilities averaged more male simulators than female simulators, and more white simulators than simulated patients of color, however, only gender differences were significantly disproportionate to that of state populations. These effects differed by geographic region. Availability and cost were the most reported barriers to obtaining diverse equipment. Investing in diverse simulators as a more comprehensive strategy could provide partial mitigation for these disparities in patient outcomes.