| You're on your organization's diversity committee. | | | | as patient satisfaction scores, days in treatment, |
| You have the best of intentions.And that's the | | | | staffing levels, number of adverse events and law |
| problem.It leads you to appeal for funding for all | | | | suits, and such.Next, recognize that when your |
| the wrong reasons.Take healthcare for | | | | organization fails to work effectively with minority |
| example.The US foreign-born population comprises | | | | consumers, it's not only the consumers who |
| a larger segment than at any time in the past | | | | suffer. You need to point out how your |
| five decades. And this trend is expected to | | | | organization is missing its numbers, how improved |
| continue(1). People of diverse racial, ethnic, and | | | | performance on the frontline will help your unit |
| cultural heritage suffer disproportionately from | | | | meet it's goals, and how diversity training will |
| cardiovascular disease, diabetes, HIV/AIDS and | | | | create the improved performance you need.Let |
| every form of cancer. In addition, their infant | | | | me give you an example. Here's how diversity |
| mortality rates are generally higher(2). Minorities | | | | training translates to lower liability costs in |
| receive measurably poorer care and they suffer | | | | hospitals.Hospitals administrators have a significant |
| for it.Great reasons for diversity training. | | | | incentive to reduce medical malpractice claims. If |
| Disastrous reasons to ask for executive funding | | | | you do a little digging, you'll find out that four of |
| for your diversity program.If you doubt me, just | | | | five patients who sue haven't suffered medical |
| look at your budget. Chances are you're getting | | | | negligence(3). Patients sue because they feel |
| sincere encouragement from the boardroom but | | | | devalued, deserted, misunderstood, and |
| not budget codes that represent significant | | | | misinformed(4).Combine that with the knowledge |
| financial resources.Here's the nut of the problem.If | | | | that minority patients are less satisfied--in fact |
| you're at or near the front lines--the medical floor | | | | African Americans, Latinos, and Asian Americans |
| if you're in healthcare, or sales or service if you're | | | | are 10-15 times more likely than whites to believe |
| in a corporation--the discussions you're having | | | | they would receive better health care if they |
| about diversity training are not the discussions | | | | were a different race(5)--and you have a recipe |
| your executives are having.In healthcare, for | | | | for trouble.It will cost your hospital $25,000 to |
| example, when physicians, nurses, and their | | | | mount a defense for each claim, even if you win. |
| department heads discuss diversity training, they | | | | And your hospital has scores of claims, possibly |
| talk about the increased needs they experience in | | | | hundreds.Put an argument like this together and |
| serving minority populations.That conversation | | | | see the mileage you get.The discussion starts like |
| centers on health disparities among ethnic and | | | | this: "We have a problem with medical malpractice |
| cultural minorities, how they might be overcome, | | | | that we all want to solve. Each claim costs us |
| the new treatments that are called for, and new | | | | $25,000 to defend. And X number of them have |
| techniques and perspectives staff need to be | | | | come from our staff's difficulty in engaging |
| educated in.That discussion is all good. All | | | | minorities effectively. How many cases do you |
| well-intentioned. And every part it increases the | | | | think we could head off if we trained this group |
| expense side of the income statement.Your | | | | of staff to perform more effectively in their |
| executives are having a discussion of their | | | | interactions with minority patients?"Now you're |
| own.What they want to know is how diversity | | | | talking about saving money and meeting |
| training impacts the business of whatever | | | | organization goals.And that's a welcome reason to |
| business you're in. In healthcare, that means | | | | commit funding.Whatever cultural issues your |
| increasing your appeal to minority patients, | | | | organization is facing, they have business impacts. |
| competing for private purchaser business, | | | | You just need to point them out, and make your |
| responding to public purchaser demands, and | | | | proposal part of the solution. |
| improving cost effectiveness.In other words, while | | | | |
| frontline staff are talking about diversity training in | | | | _____________________1. National Center |
| a way that increases costs, executives are | | | | for Cultural Competence, Why is There a |
| looking for strategies to decrease costs and | | | | Compelling Need for Cultural Competence?2. |
| increase income. As long as the frontline and | | | | Cohen E, Goode TD. Policy Brief 1: Rationale for |
| boardroom talk past each other, programs like | | | | Cultural Competence in Primary Health Care. |
| diversity training will fail to receive the recognition | | | | Washington, DC: National Center for Cultural |
| and funding they deserve.But you don't need to | | | | Competence; Winter 1999.3. Focus June 4, 2004, |
| wait for a more enlightened day. In fact, you can | | | | How Doctors Might Curb Malpractice Claims, News |
| turn a few switches on yourself.If you're a real | | | | from Harvard Medical, Dental, & Public Health |
| advocate of diversity training, I recommend you | | | | Schools4. Beckman HB, Markakis KM, Suchman |
| start assembling a "business impact model", the | | | | AL, Frankel RM. The doctor-patient relationship |
| sharp dark line that connects performance on the | | | | and malpractice: lessons from plaintiff depositions. |
| front line with your organization's ultimate business | | | | Arch Intern Med. 1994;154:1365-13705. Center on |
| goals. There are some very good books where | | | | an Aging Society Georgetown University, Issue |
| you can learn about this quickly. "The Success | | | | Brief Number 5, February 2004, Cultural |
| Case Method" by Robert Brinkerhoff and | | | | Competence in Health Care: Is it important for |
| "Performance Consulting" by Robinson and | | | | people with chronic conditions?Tim Dawes is the |
| Robinson are good places to start.Here's the short | | | | founder of Interplay, Inc., a firm that helps |
| course.Instead of asking for money for diversity | | | | healthcare organizations to exceed their strategic |
| training, start from the top down. Look at your | | | | goals by demonstrating unexpected empathy to |
| unit's business needs. In healthcare, this shows up | | | | patients. |