Patient Preferences and Perceptions of Provider Diversity in Orthopaedic Surgery.

Patients in this study did not perceive orthopaedic surgery as a diverse field (overall diversity rating, <3 of 10). There were significant racial and gender differences in patients' preferences for specific physician characteristics when choosing an orthopaedic surgeon, which may help explain some instances of perceived racial bias and difficulty relating to their orthopaedic surgeon.