Strategies to Increase Workforce Diversity in Pediatric Infectious Diseases

Abstract

The number of physicians who are underrepresented in medicine within the pediatric infectious diseases workforce remains disproportionate compared to the US population. Physician workforce diversity plays an important role in reducing health care disparities. Pathways to careers in pediatric infectious diseases require that a diverse pool of students enter medicine and subsequently choose pediatric residency followed by subspecialty training. Efforts must be made to expose learners to pediatric infectious diseases earlier in the education timeline. Along with recruitment and creation of pathways, cultures of inclusivity must be created and fostered within institutions of learning along the entire spectrum of medical training.

Advancing health equity through action in antimicrobial stewardship and healthcare epidemiology

“…41 Black, Hispanic/Latino, American Indian/Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander individuals are underrepresented as trainees and practicing physicians in the United States relative to their census demographics. [42][43][44][45] Furthermore, individuals with these minoritized racial and ethnic identities are underrepresented in leadership positions, 44 have fewer speaking opportunities at national conferences, 46,47 and experience lower pay. 48 Intentional efforts to address leadership and speaking opportunities for women have led to improvements in gender equity 44,46,49 ; however, gaps remain related to pay 48 and promotion.…”

“…Concurrent with existing efforts to inspire interest in infectious diseases (ID), pathway programs (starting as early as elementary school) can expose young learners to ID careers, and their development and execution should be intentional to ensure that individuals from backgrounds historically excluded have access to these career opportunities. 57 Ensuring an adequate workforce serving rural and community hospitals is also necessary. Patients in smaller community hospitals, particularly in the Southeastern United States, were disproportionately affected by CDI, catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs), and CLABSIs during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.…”

“…10 More than 70% of US hospitals have <200 beds, and many of these facilities serve communities in need and those from minoritized communities. 11,61 Inclusive cultures must be developed and fostered during health professions training and patient care, 43,45,62 as well as through intentional assembly of healthcare epidemiology-infection prevention-antimicrobial stewardship teams to include intersectional identities. Unconscious or implicit bias describes "associations or attitudes that reflexively alter our perceptions, thereby affecting behavior, interactions, and decision making," 63 and can contribute to inequities in antimicrobial stewardship.…”

Impact of health disparity on pediatric infections

“…Along with recruitment and creation of pathways to medicine, cultures of inclusivity must be created and fostered within institutions [64 ]. In addition to promoting and supporting compositional diversity, clinician education and training to recognize and respond to bias should be prioritized as integral to training a workforce that is equipped to provide culturally sensitive and equitable care to diverse patient populations.…”

“…Pediatric Infectious Diseases as a subspecialty needs to support and promote recruitment of diverse individuals. Along with recruitment and creation of pathways to medicine, cultures of inclusivity must be created and fostered within institutions [64 ▪ ].…”