Diversity in Healthcare
In most of our readings during the course of the semester, we see a lack of diversity in healthcare professionals across history- in fact, most of the unethical practices we see are at the hands of upper-class white cisgender males. The more the patient relates to a physician, the more likely they are to trust them- similarly, if there is a more diverse physician group they have more broad experience (as a Person of Color, as a disabled individual, as neurodivergent) and have more checks and balances in the decision making process. The more a physician is able to relate to their patient, as well, the more likely they are to show empathy to the patient, which communicates to the patient that the doctor and care team wish to look out for the patient's interests.
As well as this, the location and leadership of a clinic, hospital, or community center may focus on a different group of people. For example, a more diverse physician group made up of people who specialize in rural medicine has the opportunity to gain key insights on rural living, and the social isolation and health outcomes that are attributed to it.
Citations
Stanford, F. C. (2020). The importance of diversity and inclusion in the healthcare workforce. Journal of the National Medical Association, 112(3), 247–249. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnma.2020.03.014
Swartz, T. H., Palermo, A.-G. S., Masur, S. K., & Aberg, J. A. (2019). The Science and Value of Diversity: Closing the gaps in our understanding of inclusion and diversity. The Journal of Infectious Diseases, 220(Supplement_2), S33–S41. https://doi.org/10.1093/infdis/jiz174
jenniferd. (2019, April 19). How improving healthcare diversity helps patients. Michigan State University. https://www.michiganstateuniversityonline.com/resources/healthcare-management/improving-healthcare-diversity-to-meet-diverse-patient-needs/
Hickman, D. (2020, October 21). Increasing racial diversity in hospital medicine’s leadership ranks. The Hospitalist. https://www.the-hospitalist.org/hospitalist/article/230352/leadership-training/increasing-racial-diversity-hospital-medicines