Why Increasing Numbers of Physicians with Disability Could Improve Care for Patients with Disability

Abstract

Erroneous assumptions among health care professionals about the daily lives, preferences, values, and expectations of persons with disability can contribute to documented health care disparities, faulty communication, and substandard quality of care affecting this heterogeneous population. Efforts to reduce racial and ethnic disparities have focused on expanding diversity in the physician workforce. Would expanding the numbers of physicians with disability benefit patients with disability? Increasing the number of physicians who identify as "disabled" is one strategy for proactively confronting disability-related barriers affecting patients, but such efforts will likely face substantial challenges. Nonetheless, physicians who require accommodations to practice (e.g., a height-adjustable examination table) could plausibly benefit patients needing similar accommodations and perhaps be well-positioned to provide patient-centered care to persons with comparable disability.

“I Can Understand Where They’re Coming From”: How Clinicians’ Disability Experiences Shape Their Interaction With Clients

“…There is growing recognition that professionals with disabilities can help reduce discrimination and barriers to health care (Iezzoni, 2016;Wong, 2016). In a study of physicians who have become seriously ill, Klitzman (2008) explores how the experience of being a patient has led many physicians to treat their patients differently by demonstrating increased sensitivity and awareness of systemic and policy-level issues.…”

“…In Canada, disabled people are significantly underrepresented in every sector of the labor force; this is particularly true for the health care sector, where only 4.8% of disabled adults work, making it one of the occupations with the lowest representation of disabled workers (Human Resources and Skills Development Canada, 2010). Many researchers have noted the ongoing underrepresentation of health care practitioners with disabilities (DeLisa & Thomas, 2005;Meeks et al, 2018) and commented on the value their unique perspectives can contribute to the health care fields (Iezzoni, 2016;Wong et al, 2016), and thereby improve the quality of clinician-client outcomes (Ailey et al, 2016).…”

Diversity in Neurosurgery

“…However, only an estimated 2% of practicing physicians have a disability, making this one of the most underrepresented groups in medicine. 29 Physicians most commonly acquire disabilities after completion of training. There is a lack of policy and structure for accommodating the needs of physicians and surgeons with disabilities in professional practice and for protecting them from stigma and discrimination.…”

Realizing a Diverse and Inclusive Workforce: Equal Access for Residents With Disabilities

“…Physicians with disabilities inform health care practices for patients with disabilities and may reduce disparate population health outcomes. [28][29][30] Physicians and learners have suggested their lived experiences with disability lead to greater empathy for patients and enrich the educational learning environment. 6,10 Research shows that physicians with disabilities are more likely to provide care for underserved and disability-concordant populations.…”