Assessing Implicit Gender Bias of Cardiologists in Cardiac Case Management in Lithuania
Year: 2026
Type: conference-paper
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Background/Objectives Sex differences in cardiac arrhythmias are well documented, yet women with ventricular arrhythmias (VA) remain less likely than men to receive implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) for primary prevention. Women participate less frequently in clinical trials, despite evidence that those who do receive primary preventive ICDs experience better survival than male counterparts. Implicit attitude tests (IATs), which assess the strength of automatic associations through accuracy and response times, offer a way to explore whether unconscious bias may influence these gaps. Methods A three-part survey was administered to cardiology physicians at the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences Kauno Klinikos. It included demographics, six case vignettes developed with UConn Health Department of Cardiology, and a gender-specific IAT. Seven images of older adult men and women were generated with AI, paired with seven descriptors representing “easy” or “difficult” patients. Results Pearson’s correlations were used to compare IAT d-scores with vignette responses. d-scores range from -1.0 (implicit association of women as more difficult to manage) to +1.0 (men as more difficult). Mean d-score were -0.11696 for female and -0.00075 for male cardiologists. Paired t-test shows significant difference in management of atrial fibrillation in male and female patients by female cardiologists. This difference was not seen in patients with ischemic or nonischemic cardiomyopathy. Pearson’s correlations showed significance in female cardiologists with more positive d-scores managing non-ischemic cardiomyopathy in patients. Analyses of cases involving ischemic cardiomyopathy and atrial fibrillation showed no significant differences. Conclusions These results align with Lithuania’s high standing on the Global Gender Gap Index (GGGI), particularly in health, where the nation approaches parity. While major disparities did not emerge is most case comparisons, persistent differences in cardiac care for men and women remain an important concern. Addressing subtle biases and ensuring equitable treatment standards are essential to improving patient outcomes.
Language: English
Topic: Sex and Gender in Healthcare
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7155459061