The Benefits of Diversity in the Healthcare Sector

As an integral part of society, healthcare needs to reflect the rich layers and depths of the communities it serves. This community diversity can be observed in terms of age, gender, ethnicity, culture, socioeconomic status, and more. The healthcare industry stands to benefit profoundly from embracing a diverse workforce that mirrors this complexity.

In this article, we’ll delve into the importance of diversity in healthcare and explore its benefits, particularly in regards to medical advancement and patient trust. We’ll also take a look at how healthcare employers can promote diversity within their organizations, so that they can take full advantage of these far-reaching and impactful benefits.

Why Is Diversity Important in Healthcare?

Diversity, in essence, promotes a holistic, inclusive approach that understands and caters to the unique needs of different population subsets. It can contribute to improved health outcomes and reduce health disparities. Here are some key reasons why diversity is essential in healthcare.

Cultural Competency

Diversity in the healthcare sector plays a pivotal role in enhancing cultural competency. When the healthcare workforce is composed of individuals from varied backgrounds and cultures, it naturally fosters an environment where understanding of and respect for different cultural norms and values are prioritized. This cultural awareness allows healthcare professionals to tailor their approach to align with a patient’s cultural beliefs and practices.

Achieving cultural competency is a vital goal because it ensures that healthcare services are patient-centered, respectful, and responsive to the diverse needs of patients, thereby reducing disparities in care and promoting holistic well-being.

Enhanced Communication

Increased diversity also leads to improved communication. A diverse workforce brings together a myriad of languages, cultural nuances, and perspectives, enabling healthcare professionals to connect more effectively with a broader range of patients. Such enhanced communication ensures that patients feel understood and valued, leading to clearer articulation of their concerns and needs.

Effective communication is paramount in healthcare, as it directly impacts diagnosis accuracy, treatment efficacy, and patient satisfaction. Diversity helps the healthcare sector improve these important outcomes by fostering clearer and more empathetic interactions.

Mitigating Healthcare Disparities

Healthcare disparities represent a significant global challenge, manifesting as unequal access to quality medical services, treatments, and preventive measures across different populations. Rooted in a complex interplay of socio-economic, cultural, and geographical factors, these disparities can lead to pronounced differences in health outcomes, life expectancy, and overall well-being. Particularly in low and middle-income countries, limited resources, inadequate infrastructure, and socio-cultural barriers often exacerbate these inequalities.

Research shows that these disparities exist across many countries globally. Some of these are highlighted in the following statistics:

• People with disadvantaged backgrounds in Latin America and the Caribbean are 43% more likely to have a disability.

• Girls aged 15-19 in sub-Saharan Africa contract HIV at a rate three times higher than boys the same age.
• People in low-income countries live 18.1 years fewer than those in high-income countries.

Addressing these global disparities is crucial not only for ethical and human rights reasons, but also for fostering sustainable development and global health security. Diversity in the healthcare industry is a key part of this. A diverse workforce of healthcare professionals brings a deeper understanding of the unique health challenges faced by various communities. By promoting diversity, healthcare providers can ensure that resources, treatments, and preventive measures are distributed more equitably, thereby reducing health inequities that persist worldwide.

The Impact of Diversity on Medical Advancement

Medical research and innovation are the driving forces behind improved healthcare services. A diverse team of medical researchers brings a variety of perspectives and experiences, fostering creativity and innovation. They can identify unique problems and find innovative solutions, pushing the boundaries of medical science.

Furthermore, diverse research teams can enhance the inclusivity of clinical trials. Research has shown that many clinical trials have been disproportionately populated by certain ethnic groups, potentially leading to biased results. One 2020 study, for example, found that “of 292,537 participants in clinical trials globally, 76% were white, 11% were Asian, and only 7% were Black.” This striking disproportionality is immediately evident when compared to the global population, which is “distributed with ~60% of the population in Asia, ~16% in Africa, ~10% in Europe, and ~8% in Latin America.”

Diversity in research teams can help produce more equitable representation in clinical trials, resulting in findings that can benefit all populations.

Diversity and Patient Trust

The trust between patients and healthcare professionals is a cornerstone of effective healthcare. However, it’s also an area that needs urgent attention and improvement. A recent global survey on patient trust revealed that “less than half of respondents globally trust doctors and nurses a lot.” The survey report notes that “although much attention is paid to crafting public health messages, it may be equally important … to identify appropriate, trusted messengers to deliver those messages more effectively to different target populations.”

These trusted messengers are found in healthcare professionals whose diverse cultural backgrounds and experiences can help them reach and connect with a wide range of patients. Patients who trust their healthcare professionals are more likely to seek care, follow through with treatment recommendations, and participate in preventive health measures. Ultimately, this enhanced trust can improve patient outcomes and promote healthier communities worldwide.

Promoting Diversity in the Healthcare Sector

Promoting diversity is a shared responsibility that begins with conscious recognition and proactive efforts. Below are a few strategies that healthcare employers can adopt to promote diversity:

• Inclusive hiring practices: Develop and implement hiring policies that aim to recruit a diverse range of candidates.
• Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) training: Regular training can help staff understand the importance of diversity and learn how to respect and appreciate differences. This can also help create a more attractive workplace environment for new hires.
• Promote from within: Create clear career paths that offer everyone equal opportunities for advancement, irrespective of their background. This helps foster diversity in leadership.
• Create an inclusive culture: Cultivate an environment where everyone feels valued, respected, and heard.
• Partner with Generation: Partner with us at Generation so that we can help you recruit diverse, high quality talent. We recruit, train, and place non-traditional candidates in entry-level, middle-skill roles across the healthcare industry — and in other sectors, too! Learn more about how we can help you with entry-level talent management here.

By embracing diversity, the healthcare sector stands to make significant strides in a wealth of crucial areas. In doing so, healthcare can better serve its purpose and deliver quality care for all members of society.

At Generation, our mission is to train, support, and place people into otherwise inaccessible career opportunities that can change their lives. Explore our employment programs to see how we can help you, or donate today to help us create career opportunities for our learners!