A blueprint to help confront racial and ethnic disparities in your radiology department
Amid recent racially charged events in the United States, one noted healthcare institution is offering leaders advice to improve diversity and inclusiveness in their radiology departments.
Several institutions have begun creating diversity, equity and inclusion committees to address these issues in imaging. Those include Massachusetts General Hospital, which recently detailed its experience in the Journal of the American College of Radiology.
While undertaken at a Harvard-affiliated hospital in a unique local environment, Mass General believe any academic practice can translate their strategic planning process into their own institution.
“Current events have highlighted the need to confront racial/ethnic disparities and improve the diversity and inclusiveness of radiology departments,” Anand Narayan, MD, PhD, with Mass General’s Department of Radiology, and co-authors wrote April 26. “Committees represent important tools for radiology departments to comprehensively address [diversity, equity and inclusion] issues in radiology.”
One of the first steps for Narayan et al. in the process was to perform a gap analysis, conducting research within the system and externally. They also determined Mass General’s strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats after conferring with departmental and other leaders. All of this legwork helped to guide the creation of its diversity group, which incorporated a steering committee and four task forces focused on education, research, the patient experience and workforce development.
Narayan and colleagues noted the importance of gaining support from institutional and departmental leaders, along with engaging staff while creating the committee. They also recommended aligning radiology department diversity with existing institutional initiatives to ensure success.
“As many [diversity, equity and inclusion] issues have disproportionate effects on different role groups in radiology departments, it is crucial to incorporate the perspectives and experiences of these role groups in the planning, implementation, and monitoring of DEI initiatives,” the team advised.
You can read much more of their advice in JACR here.
Marty Stempniak has covered healthcare since 2012, with his byline appearing in the American Hospital Association's member magazine, Modern Healthcare and McKnight's. Prior to that, he wrote about village government and local business for his hometown newspaper in Oak Park, Illinois. He won a Peter Lisagor and Gold EXCEL awards in 2017 for his coverage of the opioid epidemic.