Diversity, equity, and inclusion DEI are crucial in life, society, culture, work, and health. DEI is complex yet a team sport. Creating a workplace that reflects and honors the cultures of diverse populations is a moral obligation in all facets of life. In healthcare, DEI is not limited to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce. The effects extend to impact the communities we serve and the way we interact with and treat patients from diverse backgrounds.
What is DEI?
• Diversity refers to how people differ personally and in groups across all levels: individual, organizational, institutional, and societal.
• Equity is a concept promoting the obligation of accessible resources to individuals or groups in a way that adapts and meets their differences and particular needs.
• Inclusion means typically excluded individuals or groups are invited, welcomed, and brought into social settings.
With changing trends across the globe with technology, innovations and pandemics, healthcare is also facing a growing responsibility to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts.
Now, healthcare is not restricted to mainstream doctors, nurses, labs and specialists but are expanding into telehealth, homecare, remote healthcare, precision medicine, robotics, genetics, self-care platforms, etc.
With the advent of technology with changing needs, doctors are learning technologies, engineers are entering into healthcare space with new software, apps, IOTs and general management has taken its place into hospital administration, public health management, and policy planning. In fact, diversity and equity are so critical in health care that they could, quite literally, save lives by taking learnings from technologies (AI/ML (Artificial Intelligence, Machine learning), Apps, Software, EMR/EHR (Electronic medical/health records), PHR (patient health records), innovations (medical devices, robotics, genetics, IOTs, Data Analytics), and inclusion of different sectors.
A 2021 study from Press Ganey produced results showing health settings with strong DEI values minimize the risk of staff turnover. Here are a few key findings from their study:
• Employees were two times more likely to leave if they felt DEI was not prioritized in the workplace.
• Healthcare staff is 4.5 times more likely to leave their workplace when offered another job if they felt DEI values were not in place at their current position.
• DEI perceptions are a greater indicator of working for an organization long-term among security, nurse, and physician staff.
Key Benefits of DEI in healthcare:
• DEI provides equal quality access to all at the remotest of locations using mix of technologies and healthcare
• DEI improves patient outcomes by including diversity and new innovative methods3
• DEI drastically impacts on employee retention, sense of belonging and its continuous training with growth
• It encourages other industries to collaborate with traditional healthcare streams
Healthcare systems and leaders must support diversity and equity across the entire employee lifecycle or face even more turbulent years ahead. Better diversity hiring practices are only the beginning. Healthcare leadership needs to drive efforts to equitably and inclusively onboard, promote, and retain employees from different industries and bring the best practices for all to flourish.
