Research published in JAMA Health Forum found that healthcare has become more inaccessible for many Americans over the past 20 years — especially in racial and ethnic communities. “Despite health reforms and innovations by the private sector, our nation is losing ground on access to health care.”?
There’s a direct connection between effective communications and successful diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. Here are a few thoughts to help healthcare provider organizations turn the tide.?
- Craft a consistent and compelling story. DEI efforts aren’t just a box to check and shouldn’t exist as a function disjointed from the overall way in which you talk about your organization. Infuse DEI into your messaging about your organization’s mission, vision and values. Posting a statement on a landing page saying you’re invested in the work is one thing. Providing evidence is another. Be sure to consistently use inclusive, culturally sensitive language in everyday messages.??
- Advance your reputation. In doing the right thing, your strategic DEI efforts in place positively affect your organization’s standing in your community. Providing an inclusive work environment for employees and culturally competent patient experience can improve how people perceive your brand. Widely communicating these well-intentioned efforts to both internal and external stakeholders can build tremendous goodwill, helping with retention and recruiting.??
- Identify barriers and speak to how your organization works to break them down. Social determinants remain a pressing concern. Your organization’s commitment to health equity is the first step to breaking down the barriers keeping vulnerable communities from accessing care. Then meet your community and understand their real needs. From there, share your knowledge of and access to available resources – again, both internally and externally. This positions your organization as an agent of change.?
- Measure the intangible. Equity of care starts from the inside. While there isn’t a perfect way to measure workplace culture, your employee engagement survey can be a helpful baseline to measure success and areas of opportunity. Intentional REaL and SOGI patient data collection is an effective way to build a foundation that allows your organization to measure equity of care efforts now and in the future.?
