Dive Brief:
-
A new JAMA Network study laid out six "modifiable contributors" healthcare organizations can look at when assessing inclusion in their work environments.
-
Non-inclusive workplaces have adverse effects on job performance and employee well-being that can eventually lead to lower-quality care, according to the report.
-
The researchers said it is also critical for companies to create a system of accountability. "Leaders should foster general civility, encourage everyone to speak up against discriminatory acts and promote policies that advocate for all members of their organization," they wrote.
Dive Insight:
Much like other organizations, healthcare companies have increasingly looked at how having a diverse staff can benefit a workplace. The industry doesn't have a great track record in the area, and many hospitals and practices fail to create a work environment that can help with the growing problem of physician burnout.
Dianne Austin, workforce diversity program manager at Massachusetts General Hospital, told Healthcare Dive last year that creating support networks is a way to help employees identify and deal with potential discrimination from other employees. She added that employees must be able to speak freely.
"There's a lot that we do to really try to help employees feel that they have a voice and that they're important," she said.
A lack of diversity in the C-suite specifically remains an issue for the industry.
The JAMA analysis sought to understand the factors that contribute to an inclusive workplace and how healthcare organizations can improve inclusion. The researchers used emailed questions and answers with more than 300 healthcare executives at six hospitals. They found six broad factors impact inclusion within healthcare companies:
- Presence of discrimination
- The silent witness (people who witness discrimination)
- The interplay of hierarchy, recognition and civility
- The effectiveness of organizational leadership and mentors
- Support for work-life balance
- Feeling excluded from inclusive efforts
Those issues can cause problems for staff that can lead to lower healthcare quality.
"How we approach both evaluating and addressing inclusion within healthcare learning and work environments will shape the complex dynamics between the diversity of our healthcare workforce, the wellness of that workforce and the care we provide to diverse patient populations," the researchers said.
Ways to achieve an inclusive workforce include fostering a sense of belonging and community. That involves diversifying leadership, as well as providing implicit bias training and inclusive leadership skills to administrators, leaders and mentors, according to the report.