This is our 4th installment in our blog series for healthcare professionals.
Thankfully, the coronavirus pandemic seems to be moving into our collective rear-view mirror. Patient care facilities are back to being just “busy” as opposed to “overwhelmed”. As we move into the era of our next new normal, now is the time to re-assess and re-focus our energies. Our next hurdle to surmount should be the overcoming of unconscious biases and assumptions and challenging the long-accepted notions that they create. Could approaching the care of patients with a different lens, one of inclusion with a proactive approach, improve the quality of patient care? Could it reduce healthcare spending? Could it boost morale among staff? The answer to each of these questions is a resounding YES!
Research shows that DEI (Diversity Equity & Inclusion) training can positively impact patient outcomes and workplace dynamics in several ways. In the healthcare field in particular, cultural diversity training can help employees and managers become more empathetic toward patients. This empathy can increase patient trust and engagement. Increased communication may improve patient interactions and could lead to more efficient treatments. More efficient treatments, coupled with greater levels of treatment adherence by the patient, could reduce unnecessary spending.
How about the work environment itself? DEI training has been shown to increase the inclusion of minority populations into the workforce and can also promote higher levels of teamwork. Additionally, DEI training can help health care teams function more effectively, reducing professional conflict, toxic work environments thus generating a more pleasant surrounding for patients. Stable and inclusive work environments promote feelings of belonging for employees, thus leading to lower levels of employee burnout and turnover.
The healthcare environment can create a challenging stage for employee training. Topics such as Diversity, Equity and Inclusion lend themselves nicely to microlearning suites that may be absorbed by employees as time permits throughout their shifts.
Topics may vary by location, group size, and issues seeking to be addressed, however, most organizations report improvement in all measurable matrixes by including education in areas specifically including Unconscious & Implicit Bias; The Dangers of Stereotyping and Raising Cultural and Awareness. By continuing to grow and learn, we all may be able to work together to cure what ails our patients and us.