| Sumario: | Background: The Implicit Association Test (IAT) has been used in numerous studies to explore implicit biases within populations of healthcare professionals. Orthotists and prosthetists have yet to be studied in this way, and therefore, the primary goal of this research was to utilize the IAT and other questions to assess implicit and explicit racial bias among clinicians, residents, students, and educators within the orthotics and prosthetics (O&P) discipline. Methods: A cross-sectional survey using the IAT was conducted in which participants completed demographic and work-related surveys, the Race IAT, and questions about explicit racial preference. Results: The sample consisted of 457 individuals (253 clinicians, 44 residents, 24 educators, and 136 students). Descriptive statistics were calculated to describe the study sample and racial attitude results. Group level comparisons of IAT scores were made using independent t-tests and Analysis of Variance as appropriate. Compared to the general population, the O&P sample had a similar distribution of implicit racial preference. No significant difference was found between role groups (clinicians/residents, students, and educators). However, statistically significant differences were found by gender (men versus women) and race (Black versus non-Black and non-Hispanic White versus not non-Hispanic White), with women, Black individuals, and those who did not identify as non-Hispanic White having significantly less implicit racial bias. Conclusion: These results provide empirical support for the active recruitment of individuals with diverse backgrounds into orthotic and prosthetic clinical practice. Future research is needed to examine the relationship between implicit and explicit racial attitudes and the quality of O&P care provided.
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