Improved Patient Experience and Outcomes: Is Patient–Provider Concordance the Key?

Abstract

Health disparities remain ubiquitous in the United States despite initiatives by the federal government and other organizations. A long-term solution for health inequity is needed in order to help improve patient outcomes for all. The purpose of this review is to examine if racial, gender, or multifactorial concordance (eg, race, age, gender, education, language) between patient and provider leads to a better patient experience and improved health outcomes. A PubMed search for articles published between 2016 and 2021 resulted in 23 separate studies that met inclusion criteria. The results from these studies were inconclusive in determining an association between patient–provider concordance and patient outcomes. Further research is needed to evaluate the positive, neutral, and sometimes negative impact of patient–provider concordance. By diversifying healthcare professions and improving cultural competency and communication training programs, providers may be better prepared to care for diverse populations in both concordant and discordant patient relationships.

Factors related to substance use treatment attendance after peer recovery coach intervention in the emergency department

“…We are not able to examine outcomes as a function of individual peer specialist or specialist-patient concordance with respect to racial and gender identity, however, we note that the peer specialist staff at JHBMC was diverse with respect to race and gender. Future interventions should evaluate the possible importance of patient-provider concordance on substance use treatment linkage outcomes ( Otte, 2022 ).…”

Care Gaps in Sodium-Glucose Cotransporter-2 Inhibitor and Renin Angiotensin System Inhibitor Prescriptions for Patients with Diabetic Kidney Disease

“…47,48 Additionally, providers may not be skilled at employing shared decisionmaking with patients of color, particularly when there is patient-provider discordance. [47][48][49][50] Black Americans comprise 13% of the US population, but more than 30% of the ESKD population progresses from CKD to ESKD at 3.5 times higher rate compared to white Americans. 1,2,51 If this progression is even partially related to underutilization of evidence-based treatments, using a population health approach with attention to race and ethnicity has the potential to mitigate adverse DKD outcomes while improving health equity.…”

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Headache Care and Research

“…Similar inconclusive and conflicting data were seen with gender concordance. Importantly, Otte 64 also noted that studies did not take into consideration individuals who might identify with more than one race or those who are nonbinary as examples of study limitations when examining concordance.…”

“…While the headache medicine literature is sparse on the topic of cultural sensitivity, we can make inferences from related disciplines that might also be beneficial to the field. A recent review by Otte 64 explored the topic of patient-provider concordance, and whether better concordance improved patient outcomes. Concordance was defined as a shared identity between the patient and clinician, whether it be gender, race, ethnicity, or a multifactorial circumstance with components including these and others (eg, age, language, education).…”