Introduction
Health determines the person’s quality of life, but at the same time, the possibilities of maintaining it and receiving treatment in case of risks are not equal among the population. An important goal of global sustainable development is ensuring health care equity. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) (2020) provided several recommendations to address some causes of inequality. Among others, it proposes diversifying the workforce, which should solve the problem of insufficient representation of minorities among providers. Although medical staff has become more diverse recently, different ethnic groups are still underrepresented in healthcare and there is a need to analyze the policy aimed at diversifying the workforce.
Define the Context
Culturally, the United States brings together citizens of various ethnic backgrounds. Emigrants created the country, and it is still attractive to them. However, there are episodes of oppression of other races and peoples in American history, which still affect society, causing discrimination and bias (Serchen et al., 2021). Structural racism impacts the socio-economic status of minorities, putting them at a more significant disadvantage, including in access to medical services, education, and jobs. In the political context, this issue is regulated at the federal level to achieve equity (Wilbur et al., 2020). However, there are still problems that prevent ensuring justice and equity in health issues.
State the Problem
Discrimination leads to worse health outcomes among minorities, exacerbating existing inequalities. The problem of lack of diversity among providers is one of the influential reasons for the difficulties interfering with obtaining health services (Wilbur et al., 2020). People of color who face discrimination from staff or who already had such experience in the past may feel uncomfortable and, as a result, do not receive quality services and seek less help. Compared to 82% of white Americans, only 23% of African Americans, 26% of Latin Americans, and 39% of Asian Americans have providers of the same race or ethnicity (Wilbur et al., 2020). Although the healthcare workforce has recently become more diverse, minorities often remain in low positions (Wilbur et al., 2020). The education inaccessibility also justifies their shortage – admissions rates for white students are typically higher than for applicants of color (Wilbur et al., 2020). Consequently, the problem of lack of diversity among medical workers has a significant influence on population health.
Search for Evidence
There is ample evidence for the significance of the problem, as well as research on its causes and solutions. A study by Shen et al. (2018) proved that patients feel more comfortable working with a diverse team. Moreover, research by Gomez and Bernet (2019) demonstrates that workforce diversity improves the quality of services and brings financial benefits. However, explicit and implicit discrimination provoking a low socio-economic situation prevents minorities from getting the education they need to get a job (Wilbur et al., 2020). At the same time, education should include the development of cultural competencies to improve communication with patients of various ethics (Olukotun et al., 2018). Exploring solutions, Glazer et al. (2018) proved that changing admission methods at the university, implementing institutions’ positions supporting diversity, and other measures can attract more previously underrepresented students. Thus, several policies can be considered to solve the problem.
Different Policy Options
Efforts in several directions can help in diversifying the workforce in health care. Olukotun et al. (2018) believe that educating medical students on the importance and significance of diversity is necessary. Serchen et al. (2021) propose a policy of creating a safer and more inclusive working environment and supporting education for all population segments. Glazer et al. (2018) note that universities must change their admissions policies and be more inclusive. Wilbur et al. (2020) note policies aimed at increasing interest in the sciences at the school, supporting students of color, and providing free programs for studying. All mentioned policy options can have beneficial effects on diversity in the workforce.
Project the Outcomes
The outcomes of the considered alternatives may vary as they address different aspects of the problem. Teaching students of cultural competence will make the organization safer and more tolerant of other ethics. Inclusive workplace policies will help retain employees with different cultural backgrounds. Policies aimed at education, including generating interest in the sciences and supporting students of color, will attract more applicants. The provision of grants, financial and social support, free courses, and similar measures, in turn, will aid students who cannot afford college.
Apply Evaluative Criteria
The evaluation criteria for the mentioned policies are as follows:
- Relevance: Each policy meets the population’s needs to reduce discrimination and inequalities in access to health care, which meets the goals and priorities of sustainable development.
- Progress: The healthcare workforce is becoming more diverse, but the barrier of high educational costs and workplace discrimination remains influential, leaving employees in low positions.
- Efficiency: Allocating grants and other types of support requires more investment than changing policies at work and universities, attracting interest in the sciences, and introducing courses to develop cultural competence.
- Effectiveness: Training in cultural competence and supporting diversity in the workplace improve services and retain employees. Interest in the sciences, admissions policies and student support increase the number of students from previously underrepresented groups.
- Impact: Cultural training and diversity policies contribute to more patients referring for care. Diversity of students leads to diversity at work, increasing the socio-economic status of oppressed groups and better provision of services for the entire population.
Weigh the Outcomes
The outcomes of the considered alternatives are desirable and essential for health care. However, achieving the goal of increased diversity in the workplace is most likely when applying a combination of changed policies for admitting students of various ethnicities and providing them with financial and social support in obtaining an education. While these policies require the most investment, their impact will also be more extensive. Diversity of students will promote employment of students of color, improve employees’ cultural competence, and promote patient comfort by receiving services from a diverse team.
Make the Decision
Based on the analysis above, it is essential to direct efforts and resources to increase the diversity of medical students. Achieving this goal requires providing them with financial and social support to overcome the barrier of high tuition costs. This decision addresses the critical reason for the lack of diversity among health employees and may have the most significant impact. By increasing diversity, other goals will be achieved – increasing cultural competence and patient comfort, improving the socio-economic situation of groups, and reducing discrimination. Therefore, the most effective policy for diversifying the workforce in health care is to assist students of color in obtaining medical education.
Conclusion
Thus, policy-makers in health care have the task of making the workforce more diverse. Achieving this goal will help overcome societal inequalities and make the population healthier. The diversity policy for medical education has tremendous potential to address the issue. It is critical to overcome the obstacle of high education costs for many population groups, decrease discrimination in accepting applications for training, and raise interest in medical sciences. Financial and social support for students will make education for underrepresented groups more accessible and increase diversity.
References
Glazer, G., Tobias, B., & Mentzel, T. (2018). Increasing healthcare workforce diversity: Urban universities as catalysts for change. Journal of Professional Nursing, 34(4), 239-244. Web.
Gomez, L. E., & Bernet, P. (2019). Diversity improves performance and outcomes. Journal of the National Medical Association, 111(4), 383-392. Web.
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. (2020). Unleashing the power of the nurse to achieve health equity. Web.
Olukotun, O., Mkandawire-Vahlmu, L., Kreuziger, S. B., Dressel, A., Wesp, L., Sima, C., Scheer, V., Weitzel, J., Washington, R., Hess, A., Kako, P., & Stevens, P. (2018). Preparing culturally safe student nurses: An analysis of undergraduate cultural diversity course reflections. Journal of Professional Nursing, 34(4), 245-252. Web.
Serchen, J., Doherty, R., Atiq, O., & Hilden, D. (2021). A comprehensive policy framework to understand and address disparities and discrimination in health and health care: A policy paper from the American College of Physicians. Annals of Internal Medicine, 174(4), 529-532. Web.
Shen, M. J., Peterson, E. B., Costas-Muñiz, R., Hernandez, M. H., Jewell, S. T., Matsoukas, K., & Bylund, C. L. (2018). The effects of race and racial concordance on patient-physician communication: A systematic review of the literature. Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities, 5(1), 117-140. Web.
Wilbur, K., Snyder, C., Essary, A. C., Reddy, S., Will, K. K., & Saxon, M. (2020). Developing workforce diversity in the health professions: A social justice perspective. Health Professions Education, 6(2), 222-229. Web.