The inequities in the healthcare industry range from the mistreatment of marginalized medical students to unchecked racial bias that can harm patients. In this episode of the Managing Well podcast, we discuss the importance of equity and inclusion in healthcare.
Our guest Dr. Stella A. Safo, MD, MPH from Just Equity for Health is a Harvard-trained, board-certified HIV primary care physician, an innovator in designing health care delivery models, and an advocate committed to gender and racial equity and civic engagement in healthcare.
In this episode, Dr. Safo talks about her personal experience with discrimination as a medical professional and she explains the benefits of an equitable health care model she designed that focuses on preventive care for various populations.
After the episode, download our worksheet to learn tips on how healthcare leaders can build better relationships with the communities they serve.
Reflection Questions:
- Do I understand the lived experience of my patients enough to provide them with the best medical care?
- Am I bringing my awareness of my own culture and the culture of my patient to every interaction with patients?
- Do I assess for racial bias when I read medical data and review literature?
- What is my medical institution or organization doing to minimize racial bias in patient care?
Action Items:
- Listen to patients to understand not debate or critique. Say, “tell me more so I can understand and better assist you”.
- Create relationships and partnerships in the communities you serve, to better understand their needs. Your patient population will receive better healthcare when their needs are understood, respected, and addressed.
- Read with a filter for racial bias when reviewing medical research. Ask yourself, was this research conducted on all populations? How might the findings differ depending on variables such as race, gender, and more?
Additional Resources:
- Racial Bias in Healthcare: What You Need to Know
- These medical devices produce racially biased results. Here’s why that matters.
- 7 Steps to Eliminating Racial Disparities in Healthcare
- Algorithms Are Making Decisions About Health Care, Which May Only Worsen Medical Racism
- Patient satisfaction surveys fail to track how well hospitals treat people of color
- Why Black Americans are more likely to be saddled with medical debt
On the Managing Well podcast, host Tonya Ladipo talks wellness in the workplace with people leaders, mental health professionals, HR experts, and more. Click the link to subscribe to the podcast and get the latest episodes.