From the Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.
Ann Plast Surg. 2024 Dec 1;93(6):653-657. doi: 10.1097/SAP.0000000000004051. Epub 2024 Jul 8.
The racial diversity portrayed in plastic and reconstructive surgery (PRS) media is an important indicator of an inclusive environment for potential patients. To evaluate the degree to which PRS websites demonstrate inclusivity, we assessed the racial composition of both patients and plastic surgeons depicted on the most visited academic and private PRS websites to determine the extent to which racial diversity is represented.
A cross-sectional study was conducted in September 2023. The 10 most visited websites in each state were identified. Sociodemographic characteristics including race and sex of patients and plastic surgeons, as well as the type of practice, were collected. Race was classified according to individuals' Fitzpatrick Phototypes into White and non-White. Differences in patient and surgeon representation were compared to the 2020 US Census and the 2020 ASPS demographics using χ 2 tests. Subgroup analyses were conducted to identify differences by type of practice and region.
We analyzed a total of 2,752 patients from 462 websites belonging to 930 plastic surgeons. PRS websites were predominantly from private practices (93%). Regarding patient representation, 92.6% were female, 7.4% were male, 87.6% were White, and 12.4% were non-White. The surgeon population on the studied webpages was 75.1% male, 92.1% White, and 7.8% non-White. Statistically significant differences were found in the patient population when compared to the 2020 national ( P < 0.001) and regional ( P < 0.001) US Census demographics and the 2020 ASPS Statistics Report ( P < 0.001). Although minority representation was significantly higher on academic websites compared to private practice (22.9% vs. 12.1%; P = 0.007), both were significantly lower than the percentage of minority patients undergoing PRS.
This study illuminates racial disparities in the representation of racial groups among patients and plastic surgeons in the most frequented plastic surgery websites. Moreover, it underscores the imperative to bolster racial diversity within the digital content of both private and academic PRS websites. Greater racial representation can foster a more inclusive perception of the plastic surgery field, which may potentially broaden access to care and enrich the professional landscape.
整形外科学术媒体中所描绘的种族多样性是衡量潜在患者包容性环境的重要指标。为了评估整形外科学术网站在多大程度上体现了包容性，我们评估了最常访问的学术和私人整形外科学术网站上描绘的患者和整形外科医生的种族构成，以确定种族多样性的代表性程度。
本研究于 2023 年 9 月进行了一项横断面研究。确定了每个州访问量最大的 10 个网站。收集了患者和整形外科医生的社会人口统计学特征，包括种族和性别，以及执业类型。根据个体的 Fitzpatrick 光型将种族分为白种人和非白种人。使用卡方检验比较患者和外科医生的代表性与 2020 年美国人口普查和 2020 年美国整形外科学会（ASPS）的人口统计学数据之间的差异。进行了亚组分析，以确定按执业类型和地区的差异。
我们分析了来自 930 名整形外科医生的 462 个网站共 2752 名患者的数据。整形外科学术网站主要来自私人执业（93%）。关于患者的代表性，92.6%为女性，7.4%为男性，87.6%为白种人，12.4%为非白种人。研究网页上的外科医生群体中，75.1%为男性，92.1%为白种人，7.8%为非白种人。与 2020 年全国（P<0.001）和地区（P<0.001）美国人口普查人口统计学数据以及 2020 年 ASPS 统计报告（P<0.001）相比，患者人群存在统计学显著差异。尽管与私人执业相比，学术网站上少数民族的代表性明显更高（22.9%比 12.1%；P=0.007），但两者均明显低于接受整形外科学术的少数民族患者的比例。
本研究揭示了在最常访问的整形外科学术网站中，患者和整形外科医生中不同种族群体的代表性存在种族差异。此外，它强调了在私人和学术整形外科学术网站的数字内容中增加种族多样性的必要性。更多的种族代表性可以促进对整形外科学领域更包容的看法，这可能会扩大获得护理的机会，并丰富专业领域。
