Impact of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion on Patient Care
Cultural competence is one of the critical aspects of the workplace in the service of people. The medical field of activity is one of these and requires workers to be deeply aware of cultural issues. Cultural competence is the element that can provide clinic clients with maximum comfort due to their background (Audioversity, 2018).
Demonstrations of DEI and Cultural Competence in Healthcare
Based on my experience, I can recall one case where diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) positively impacted patient care. This manifested itself when a patient of Asian origin was admitted to the clinic, who knew little English and could not explain what he needed or what help might be needed. However, due to the clinic’s adherence to DEI principles, one of the staff members was also Asian American and could speak to the patient as if they were from the same country. Thus, the clinic could help the person because it promptly implemented the DEI principles in its personnel management system.
Medical workers in this situation behaved professionally and tried to provide all possible assistance to the patient. Since the person who could understand the client’s speech did not arrive immediately, much of this context also depended on the actions of the hospital staff, who behaved ethically. This was necessary to ascertain the degree of urgency of the problem, whether the patient could wait, or whether his problem was paramount.
Opportunities for Improvement in Promoting Equity and Inclusion
However, despite the correct actions of the staff, it seems that the organization that owns this hospital did not provide clear instructions for such complaints. Because of this, the clinic staff acted in confusion and could not come up with a solution to the situation until the appearance of a doctor who spoke the same language as the patient. Thus, it can be said that the employees demonstrated DEI and cultural competence, but the organization did not. In this regard, it can be said that some aspects could have happened differently. For example, if the company had a clear action plan, the staff in such a situation could better assist a person.
Reference
Audioversity. (2018). What is cultural competence in healthcare?, Explain cultural competence in healthcare [Video]. YouTube. Web.