LM209 - Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Hospital Setting: Status and Solutions

Abstract:
The Division of Audiology at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital identified gaps in our service delivery in terms of diversity, equity and inclusion. To address these gaps, Audiology partnered with SLP, OT and PT to develop a program to improve staff understanding and best practices of DEI, increase access to care by addressing health care inequities for the patients served, creating partnerships with underserved communities, and improving patient-provider concordance. This session will provide a broad review of DEI, steps that can be undertaken to improve access to services, increase diversity, and address patient-provider concordance, and the importance of culturally humble care.

Summary:
In recent years there has been recognition for the need of creating a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace and environment with a goal of reducing inequities in clinical service delivery. Prior research has shown that a patient-provider race concordance is an important aspect of patient-provider interactions and the satisfaction with the care received. However, the field of audiology is approximately 92% white and 97% non-Hispanic/Latino. The demographics of audiologists in the profession suggest difficulties in achieving race/ethnicity concordance with patients.

Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center developed a strategic plan that includes initiatives and objective to achieve equitable health outcomes for patients, address deficiencies in the recruitment and retention of diverse employees, develop data to support decision making, develop cultural competency and skills within the staff, and to partner with the community to improve outcomes in underserved communities. Individual divisions were challenged to develop programs to meet this strategic plan. The Division of Audiology identified gaps in the diversity of the staff, gaps in the service delivery models, and the need for improving partnerships within underserved communities. For example, approximately 20% of patients served are African American or Black, however this same group makes up 55% of those lost to follow-up.

In order to improve diversity within the field, Audiology developed and then partnered with 3 other Allied Health fields (Speech-language Pathology, Occupational Therapy, and Physical Therapy) to develop a program with the expected outcomes of (1) creating a pipeline of culturally diverse providers in the professions, (2) improving staff understanding and best practices within DEI, and (3) increase access to care by addressing health care inequities within the community. This program includes the development of recurring fellowships in each of these professions. The fellows are engaged in a year-long program that includes educational sessions and DEI focused projects within their respective divisions.

This session will begin by defining diversity, equity, inclusion across multiple dimensions. The strategic plan of the hospital will be discussed, followed by a review of the gaps identified within the audiology staff, the profession of audiology and the service-delivery model in response to the plan. The steps used to identify the gaps will be used to provide the audience with tools to utilize in their practice settings. A broad overview of the fellowship program, along with the curriculum and project process will also be presented. Results of the fellow’s projects, and impacts on patient care, including patient-provider concordance, will also be presented. This will include analysis of loss to follow-up demographics and social determinants in hearing health outcomes, diversity of patients served, and outreach and mentoring to historically marginalized/underrepresented undergraduates and high school students. Specific examples of patients DEI experiences will be provided.

Attendees will better understand the opportunities that can be undertaken related to improving access to services, increasing diversity, and addressing patient-provider concordance. Attendees of this presentation will obtain a general background and knowledge of diversity, equity, and inclusion and the importance of culturally humble care.