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Pain assessment and treatment decisions for virtual human patients.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Wandner, LD; George, SZ; Lok, BC; Torres, CA; Chuah, JH; Robinson, ME
Published in: Cyberpsychol Behav Soc Netw
December 2013

Laypeople and healthcare professionals use demographic cues when making pain management decisions. These decisions can negatively affect patient outcomes. This study examined whether laypeople base their pain management decisions in part on pain-related postures and demographic cues. Virtual human (VH) technology was used to research whether sex and race, as well as body posture, influenced pain management decisions. Ninety-seven laypersons examined VH patients exhibiting low back pain related body postures whose demographic cues varied by VH sex and VH race. T tests validated that participants were able to distinguish between high pain related body postures and low pain related body postures. The participants assessed male VH patients to be experiencing more pain than female VH patients. This study suggests that participants use sex as a cue when assessing pain. Participants may perceive VH male patients as experiencing high pain intensity if the participants are willing to counter male stereotypes and acknowledge that the male VH patients display pain behaviors.

Duke Scholars

Published In

Cyberpsychol Behav Soc Netw

DOI

EISSN

2152-2723

Publication Date

December 2013

Volume

16

Issue

12

Start / End Page

904 / 909

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Young Adult
  • Stereotyping
  • Sex Factors
  • Posture
  • Pain Measurement
  • Pain Management
  • Pain
  • Male
  • Humans
  • Female
 

Citation

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Wandner, L. D., George, S. Z., Lok, B. C., Torres, C. A., Chuah, J. H., & Robinson, M. E. (2013). Pain assessment and treatment decisions for virtual human patients. Cyberpsychol Behav Soc Netw, 16(12), 904–909. https://doi.org/10.1089/cyber.2012.0707
Wandner, Laura D., Steven Z. George, Benjamin C. Lok, Calia A. Torres, Joon Hao Chuah, and Michael E. Robinson. “Pain assessment and treatment decisions for virtual human patients.Cyberpsychol Behav Soc Netw 16, no. 12 (December 2013): 904–9. https://doi.org/10.1089/cyber.2012.0707.
Wandner LD, George SZ, Lok BC, Torres CA, Chuah JH, Robinson ME. Pain assessment and treatment decisions for virtual human patients. Cyberpsychol Behav Soc Netw. 2013 Dec;16(12):904–9.
Wandner, Laura D., et al. “Pain assessment and treatment decisions for virtual human patients.Cyberpsychol Behav Soc Netw, vol. 16, no. 12, Dec. 2013, pp. 904–09. Pubmed, doi:10.1089/cyber.2012.0707.
Wandner LD, George SZ, Lok BC, Torres CA, Chuah JH, Robinson ME. Pain assessment and treatment decisions for virtual human patients. Cyberpsychol Behav Soc Netw. 2013 Dec;16(12):904–909.
Journal cover image

Published In

Cyberpsychol Behav Soc Netw

DOI

EISSN

2152-2723

Publication Date

December 2013

Volume

16

Issue

12

Start / End Page

904 / 909

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Young Adult
  • Stereotyping
  • Sex Factors
  • Posture
  • Pain Measurement
  • Pain Management
  • Pain
  • Male
  • Humans
  • Female