University Honors

African American women in the United States are three to four times more likely to experiencepreventable pregnancy-related deaths than women in any other race group. A growing body ofresearch shows that systematic and medical racism, low health literacy and power-imbalance indoctor-patient relationship in healthcare delivery are the major contributing factors of pregnancy-related deaths in Black women. The death rate of Black women due to complications related topregnancy and childbirth – known as Black Maternal Mortality Rate – was 44.0 per 100,000 livebirths in 2019, which then increased to 55.3 in 2020 and 68.9 in 2021. In an effort to improvehealth risks, reduce inequalities in healthcare settings, and achieve better maternal healthoutcome, pre-medical students must learn about contributing factors of high death rates ofAfrican American women. This study will explore the use of branching scenario of h5p moduleto raise awareness among pre-medical students about underlying causes of high Black mortalityrate with emphasis on unconscious bias – deeply ingrained assumptions against certain group ofpeople – and to equip them with skills that will be valuable for their future career in medicine.The implementation of interactive, scenario based H5P module in the study is expected tosignificantly improve the pre-medical students’ understanding of challenges, faced by AfricanAmerican women during pregnancy, by fostering curiosity about this real-world issue throughactive engagement, reflection, and reconstruction of experiences.