Exploring the Value of Improvisational Theater in Medical Education for Advancing the Doctor–Patient Relationship and Health Equity

PURPOSE: Health care inequities persist, and it is difficult to teach health professions students effectively about implicit bias, structural inequities, and caring for patients from underrepresented or minoritized backgrounds. Improvisational theater (improv), where performers create everything in a spontaneous and unplanned manner, may help teach health professions trainees about advancing health equity. Core improv skills, discussion, and self-reflection can help improve communication, build trustworthy relationships with patients, and address bias, racism, oppressive systems, and structural inequities. METHOD: Authors integrated a 90-minute virtual improv workshop using basic exercises into a required course for first-year medical students at University of Chicago in 2020. Sixty randomly chosen students took the workshop and 37 (62%) responded to Likert-scale and open-ended questions about strengths, impact, and areas for improvement. Eleven students participated in structured interviews about their workshop experience. RESULTS: Twenty-eight (76%) of 37 students rated the workshop as very good or excellent, and 31 (84%) would recommend it to others. Over 80% of students perceived their listening and observation skills improved, and that the workshop would help them take better care of non-majority- identifying patients. Six (16%) students experienced stress during the workshop but 36 (97%) felt safe. Eleven (30%) students agreed there were meaningful discussions about systemic inequities. Qualitative interview analysis showed that students thought the workshop helped develop interpersonal skills (communication, relationship building, empathy); helped personal growth (insights into perception of self and others, ability to adapt to unexpected situations); and felt safe. Students noted the workshop helped them to be in the moment with patients and respond to the unexpected in ways more structured, traditional communication curricula have not. The authors developed a conceptual model relating improv skills and equity teaching methods to advancing health equity. CONCLUSIONS: Improv theater exercises can complement traditional communication curricula to advance health equity.