Improving physician diversity and inclusion benefits physicians and patients

Abstract

A diverse physician workforce in the Canadian health care system would result in more cultural competence, greater patient satisfaction, and improved population health. However, increasing representation and diversity does not automatically resolve issues of inequity, inequality, and discrimination. In this article, we discuss three broad areas of health care — the clinical environment, academic advancement, and leadership — that require intentional, systemic change if we are to make a lasting impact in terms of increasing the diversity and inclusion of underrepresented groups in medicine, and consequently, improve health outcomes. Inclusive and equitable practices to target pay inequity, unconscious bias, opposition to career advancement, and sexual harassment are integral to diverse physician recruitment and retention. Equity strategies and checks to remediate systemic biases in academic advancement through grant funding, academic criteria of merit for promotion, and the acknowledgment of differences of experience can be employed to improve equity in academic medicine. The long-standing culture, policies, and traditions of institutions within the medical establishment must be combated with a collaborative effort to foster equity through the engagement of academics and physicians from underrepresented minority groups, and the implementation of implicit bias training and meaningful accountability for creating a safe, equitable work environment for diverse physicians. Any proposed solution to improve equity and diversity should not be taken as a fixed principle to follow uncritically, but rather as a starting point for understanding and implementing the unique changes required in various local contexts.

Diversity of the chiropractic profession in Canada: a cross-sectional survey of Canadian Chiropractic Association members

“…Although numerous commentaries and narrative reviews emphasize the importance of focused efforts on improving diversity within the profession, little work has been done to identify specific priorities and strategies to accomplish these objectives, particularly within the Canadian context [38][39][40][41][42]. One strategic example can be seen in the medical profession, where Canadian Medical schools have taken the lead, implementing programs targeted at recruitment and retention of racialized minorities, in particular Black and Indigenous students [11,43]. Should similar strategies be implemented by chiropractic institutions, routinely collected demographic data will allow for ongoing evaluation.…”

Canadian radiology workforce demographics: Results from a national survey

“…The importance of equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) in the workplace is now recognized as an important topic in medicine. Increasing diversity within medicine has been shown to have many benefits, which include improved patient outcomes and satisfaction, reduced risk of hospitalization for ambulatory care sensitive conditions, as well as improved research agendas, creativity, and innovation [ [1] , [2] , [3] , [4] , [5] ]. In an effort to increase the diversity of healthcare workers, many associations and institutions have implemented strategies and committed to create a medical workforce that better reflects the diversity of the population it serves [ [6] , [7] , [8] ].…”