Navigating the Challenges of Providing Quality Care to Diverse Patient Populations

The concept of diversity in healthcare is mildly uncomfortable by its very nature. The assumption many of us have is that your background doesn’t matter when it comes to being treated for illness.

Sure, your health history that counts, but your race? Your sexual orientation? Your religion?

These are details that the healthcare system should not concern itself with. And yet we know that minority groups often do not receive the same level of care as people in the majority group.

Why is that and what can be done about it? In this article, we explore what it takes to provide high-quality care to everyone who steps into the hospital. Read on to learn more.

Outcome disparity

Studies consistently show that minorities experience poorer healthcare outcomes than majority group members. The differences are particularly pronounced when the care provider belongs to the majority group.

These outcomes do not owe to outright discrimination. While there are undoubtedly overtly racist people working within the healthcare system, the vast majority of doctors and nurses want the best outcome for all of their patients, regardless of who they are.

Outcome disparities often result from difficulties with communication and internalized bias.

Without meaning to, doctors and nurses may fail to fully understand and relate to patients who belong to groups that they are not familiar with.

Many hospitals provide their staff with regular diversity training to alleviate this problem. The best solution is to staff healthcare facilities with people from all walks of life.

Admittedly, this is not always easy to do. The overwhelming majority of doctors and nurses belong to the majority group. That, after all, is what it means to be a member of the majority.

Still, healthcare systems can go a long way towards equalizing outcomes by focusing on diversifying their staffs.

While we are a long way from this being the case, even acknowledging and working towards the problem is the first step to a solution.

The High Cost of Healthcare 

Healthcare costs are admittedly prohibitive across racial and even financial demographics. Even people who are reasonably well off with health insurance often struggle in the face of an unexpected hospital bill. When stitches can set you back $700 at the ER who can really say that they are fully insulated from the high cost of the American healthcare system?

All of that said paying for healthcare can be uniquely difficult for members of minority groups.

Studies consistently show that minority populations have less money saved up in the bank than members of the majority group. Obviously, this varies considerably on an individual to individual basis, but on average hospital bills are more difficult for diverse populations than they are for white Americans.

Members of diverse populations are also less likely to have health insurance.

Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act do admittedly alleviate some of these concerns. Insurance is now more accessible than it has been in the past. But this in no way suggests that care is affordable. Between premiums and co-pays many insured Americans still struggle with healthcare bills.

Have an answer to this problem? You should run for Congress. Unfortunately, no one has figured out how to make American healthcare more affordable. Community clinics and local healthcare initiatives can make a big difference. Many people receive affordable care through local charities and other organizations designed to increase access. It is an imperfect solution, but one that people who are struggling to receive care should explore.

Healthcare Shortages

We may all be in the same boat when it comes to this problem. Still, some communities experience healthcare shortages more than others. Rural communities are cited as a frequent example. Urban hospitals are second.

Healthcare networks operating within low-income communities where minority populations often live struggle with recruitment.

There are multiple reasons for this. For one thing, some people may not wish to work in communities that they are either unfamiliar or uncomfortable with.

Another thing? Many people work within the healthcare system that they grew up in. Unfortunately, low-income communities do not produce many doctors and nurses. This means that hospitals in these communities have to recruit from the wider world of healthcare professionals. This can be much easier, said than done.

There are already programs in place designed to curtail this problem. For example, some universities offer scholarships to doctors and nurses who are willing to work in low-income communities for the first several years of their careers.

In a world where college graduates are struggling beneath the weight of high student loans, this incentive may prove effective when it comes to improving staffing shortages at urban hospitals.

While there has yet to be a definitive solution for healthcare shortages, programs like the one described above as well as more robust recruitment efforts are playing their part in reducing the problem. While this may not be enough for people who are currently suffering under the effects of poorly staffed, healthcare institutions, it does suggest the potential for a brighter future.

It’s also worth noting that there are programs that expand access to care by giving nurse practitioners more responsibilities. In some states, NPs can do almost the exact same job as a general practitioner, giving patients more ways to receive preventative care.

Miscellaneous Access

Sometimes accessibility is a physical problem. Some patients are unable to make it to their appointments because they lack transportation or are otherwise incapable of operating a vehicle due to their illness.

What do you do for a patient who can’t get themselves to an appointment?

While there is not a comprehensive solution to the problem many communities are finding ways to make it work. Some hospitals offer health clinics that bring doctors and nurses directly to the patient.

Others operate shuttle systems or have private organizations that are willing to take patients to their appointments for a fee.

While this problem may not sound like much when weighed against discrimination, or the high cost of healthcare it is yet another way in which getting treated for an illness could be difficult in this country.

Though the deck may seem stacked against accessible access to healthcare efforts are constantly being made to improve the situation. Data processing technology that makes care more streamlined and effective. Evidence-based practices that improve patient outcomes. Legislative efforts to reduce the costs of care. Progress may be slow, but it does happen.

Healthcare networks have an enormous responsibility when it comes to servicing diverse populations. They do the best they can. It is up to all of us to contribute.

If you are interested in making healthcare more accessible for everyone consider participating in charities and political platforms that align with your worldview.