In the busy world of the clinics and hospitals, some patients may not always see their regular doctor. Learning how to communicate with an unfamiliar doctor or healthcare provider of another race, gender or age group can impact whether people get the information they need, says Clochesy.

Patients might feel uncomfortable asking questions to an unfamiliar doctor, says Clochesy, but the exposure through avatars of different races and genders might bridge those differences.

In the first nine months of the study, the researchers will conduct focus groups with people from the African-American, Latino, Russian immigrant, and gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender communities to find out what themes arise during doctor visits that prevent adequate communications between the patient and doctor.

Researchers then will take those concerns and write scripts for doctor-patient conversations and have a group of patients test out the scripts during simulated doctor visits with live actors through the Mt. Sinai Skills and Simulation Center.

Based on observations and information gathered in the next nine months during the trial simulations, LogicJunction will help create avatar doctors in a web-based program. The avatars will give patients a variety of communication scenarios that teach how to communicate and get information they need to take care of themselves between doctor appointments.

"At the end of using e-SMART-HD, we hope to have evidence that patient communication has improved with healthcare workers by interacting with this technology, and that it makes a difference in their health," said Clochesy.

Source: Case Western Reserve University