Healthcare Quality Management: Intersection with Diversity and Inclusion

The majority of my work in healthcare involves operations and people management, mainly in clinics. On the people side, my favorite work involves diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) consulting. Often, my clients have contacted me to work through relationship dysfunction between staff members, often related to job title/department and/or nationality. Mostly what I discover in my assessments is that the clinic lacks documented DEI practices and has little structure for inclusive and equitable healthcare environments for patients, employees, and the community. I create that with them.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) and Quality Management in healthcare intersect in several ways.

First, DEI practices aim to ensure that healthcare organizations provide culturally and linguistically appropriate services to all patients, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, or other demographic characteristics. This is important for quality management in healthcare as providing culturally responsive care leads to improved patient satisfaction and better health outcomes.

Additionally, DEI practices also focus on creating a diverse and inclusive workplace culture. This helps to attract and retain a talented and diverse workforce, which is critical for providing high-quality care to patients. A workplace culture that values and respects diversity can also lead to increased innovation and improved problem-solving skills, which are important factors in delivering high-quality healthcare. Employee experience is a critical aspect of healthcare, as it directly affects the quality of care delivered to patients. A positive employee experience can increase job satisfaction, reduce staff turnover, and improve patient outcomes. Organizations in the healthcare industry can enhance the employee experience by promoting a supportive and inclusive workplace culture, providing opportunities for professional development, and recognizing and rewarding employees for their contributions.

Overall, promoting DEI and implementing quality management practices in healthcare go hand-in-hand as they both contribute to creating a healthcare environment that is patient-centered, equitable, and efficient.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) and patient safety are interconnected in healthcare.

Ensuring DEI in healthcare can positively impact patient safety in several ways:

1. Culturally and linguistically appropriate care: By providing care that is culturally and linguistically appropriate, healthcare organizations can help ensure that patients understand their care plan and treatment options. This can reduce the likelihood of medical errors and improve patient safety.

2. Diverse workforce: A diverse healthcare workforce with individuals from different backgrounds and experiences can bring a range of perspectives to patient care. This diversity of thought can lead to better decision-making and improved patient safety.

3. Reduced bias: Unconscious bias can lead to unequal treatment and substandard care for certain populations. By promoting DEI, healthcare organizations can reduce the impact of bias in patient care and improve patient safety for all.

4. Improved patient-provider communication: DEI practices can help to build trust between patients and providers, leading to improved communication and more effective treatment plans. This can ultimately result in improved patient safety.

So what does this have to do with Quality Management?

In the context of healthcare, “quality management” refers to the systematic processes used by healthcare organizations to ensure that they are providing high-quality patient care and services. This includes the development and implementation of policies, procedures, and standards, as well as the continuous monitoring and improvement of healthcare processes to ensure that they are effective, efficient, and meet the needs of patients. Quality management in healthcare involves various stakeholders, including healthcare providers, administrators, and patients, and is an essential component of patient safety and overall healthcare quality.

Quality management in healthcare is important because it ensures that patients receive safe, effective, and high-quality care. By implementing quality management processes, healthcare organizations can identify and correct deficiencies in care delivery, reduce medical errors, and improve patient outcomes. Additionally, quality management helps healthcare organizations to meet regulatory requirements, maintain accreditation, and increase patient satisfaction. In short, quality management is crucial for promoting and maintaining the overall quality of care in healthcare.

Clients often ask ”What should our facility be doing?”

Creating more inclusive and equitable healthcare environments involves taking a systematic and ongoing approach to addressing diversity, equity, and inclusion in healthcare practices and policies. Some steps that healthcare organizations can take to create more inclusive and equitable environments, typically with a consultant, include:

1. Assessing current DEI practices: This involves conducting a thorough evaluation of the organization's current policies and procedures, employee diversity, and patient demographics to identify areas for improvement.

2. Providing cultural competency training: This includes training for employees on how to provide culturally and linguistically appropriate care, as well as how to address unconscious bias in the workplace.

3. Diversifying the workforce: Healthcare organizations can actively recruit and retain a diverse workforce that reflects the communities they serve. This can help to ensure that patients receive care from providers who understand and can relate to their unique cultural perspectives and experiences.

4. Implementing inclusive policies and procedures: This involves creating policies and procedures that promote DEI, such as providing accommodations for employees with disabilities, and ensuring that all employees are treated fairly and with respect.

5. Engaging with the community: Healthcare organizations can partner with community organizations to better understand the needs and perspectives of the communities they serve. This can help to create more equitable and effective healthcare programs and services.

6. Monitoring and evaluating progress: It is important to regularly monitor and evaluate progress towards creating a more inclusive and equitable healthcare environment. This can help to identify areas for improvement and make necessary adjustments to ensure continued progress.

By taking these steps, healthcare organizations can create more inclusive and equitable healthcare environments that provide better health outcomes and improved patient satisfaction.

Pam Jackson, PhD, is an organizational and behavioral economist who builds the skills and value of human capital in workplaces around the world. She is a certified professional in healthcare quality and has experience developing healthcare policy and serving as operations and human resources director in healthcare facilities. Based in Dubai, UAE, and serving clients in such countries as Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar, Dr. Pam also reaches the USA, UK, and Europe to provide corporate training, coaching, and consulting to improve workplace culture, operations, and management, and to ensure high-performing teams. Contact her team here.