How can healthcare leaders coach their teams to provide more equitable patient care?

Healthcare leaders promote equitable care by training teams in cultural competence, addressing bias, empowering patient advocacy, engaging communities, using standardized protocols, and fostering diversity. Regular assessments, data analysis, and leadership accountability are essential for sustained improvement

First you need to define equitable care. Specifically. How are you missing the goal? Very subjective name and viewed differently by everyone? What does the patient need or expect? Any examples of desired performance? Any examples of poor performance (no names). Start with specific, simple first steps that everyone can accomplish. Every role should be able to define their contributions. Take time to do it slowly, reward accomplishments, and be consistent in articulating expected performance.

If the goal is to provide patient care that recognizes cultural differences, then understanding the biases of the team can be very helpful. Using external anonymous surveys can help to look for areas that team may need more training and education. Leaders need to be a part of that cultural journey, not just as Leaders but as learners.

It is interesting to have: A.- SELF-ASSESSMENT of each of the team members (to know what they think about themselves) B.- . A 3rd PARTY EVALUATION (360 evaluation, tests, work environment surveys, public identity...). And contract both visions. There can be 4 situations when comparing them: 1.- SUPPORT COACHING: when coachee and third parties agree that the coachee needs to improve. 2.- MAINTENANCE COACHING: when both visions believe that the coachee is good at a skill. 3.- REINFORCEMENT COACHING: when everyone except the coachee believes he/she is good at something (lacks self-esteem). 4.- SHOCK COACHING: when the coachee believes he/she is good at something but the others think differently (there is an overestimation).

Healthcare leaders can promote equitable patient care by educating their teams, fostering diversity and inclusion, setting clear standards, assessing disparities, providing cultural competency training, encouraging patient-centered care, engaging with the community, supporting resource allocation, leading by example, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement.

Sin lugar a dudas, los OBJETIVOS son imprescindibles para orientar las cosas hacia la mejora continua. En ocasiones, en muchas, nuestros profesionales pero, sobretodo, los mandos intermedios, no conocen claramente, cuál es nuestra visión. Es muy difícil, si no imposible, que se orienten los esfuerzos en pos de una meta común. No creo que se trate de hacer una descripción de cómo se elaboran los objetivos. Existe literatura abundante. Se trata, sin embargo, de tener la determinación de llevar a tu equipo a una meta que han elegido, si es posible, y que conocen.

Escuchar. Las leyes lo están poniendo en evidencia. El paciente es ante todo una persona con derechos que deben ser respetados con especial cuidado si es vulnerable por razón de su edad, capacidad, sexo, o cualquier otro motivo. Los protocolos deben ser revisados priorizando a la persona con problemas de salud y su dignidad sobre la comodidad de los trabajadores, la organización de los servicios sanitarios o el ahorro en costes. ¿Pañales por tener una edad? ¿Sondas por ahorrar tiempo? ¿Varios estudiantes en grupo observando tu desnudez? Son situaciones frecuentes que creo que deberían ser revisadas. Hay un amplísimo margen de mejora en la atención al paciente, a la persona.

Feedback and support should be at departmental level to ensure privacy of the employees and the accuracy. Many healthcare leaders try to listen to feedback but they take it personally.

O feedback e suporte contínuos são fundamentais para o desenvolvimento eficaz da equipe. O feedback construtivo ajuda a melhorar o desempenho individual e coletivo, enquanto o suporte contínuo fortalece a coesão e a motivação do grupo. Esses elementos são essenciais para promover um ambiente de trabalho saudável e produtivo.

In my previous job in LA, I used to work for a company that provided commercial custodial and maintenance services to complex sites. So one of our Healthcare clients was Los Angeles General County Hospital. That site alone had 280 of our cleaners. I used to carry out trainings on empathy to our staff members who were in charge of cleaning the OR rooms, ERs and the patient rooms. Showing empathy, compassion and grace will always allow you to foster a healthy doctor patient relationship. It also requires training on Emotional and Cultural Intelligence.

Fornecer feedback tem o seu vieis positivo e negativo, para quem fornece cabe o peso da honestidade em transmitir e orientar de forma imparcial apoiado somente em dados reais. Seja honesto nas palavras e mantenha um clima agradável durante a abordagem afinal é apenas um direcionamento e quando ele é realizado na forma correta o receptor acaba tendo mais fluidez na assimilação dos fatos.

🔥 I always emphasize my clients who are mostly senior leaders to 'walk the talk' when it comes to supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI): - Actively advocate for and value DEI. - Create a safe and accountable culture. - Prioritize your values over your worries and doubts. Finally, don't include fancy words about DEI in your annual reports and press releases if you are unable to practice it. First show, then tell your team members to practice DEI and respect their patients and partners.

Healthcare leaders can coach their teams to provide more equitable patient care by fostering a culture of diversity, inclusion & continuous learning. Encourage open discussions about bias, cultural competence & disparities in healthcare outcomes. Provide training & resources to help healthcare professionals develop cultural sensitivity and awareness. Implement regular feedback mechanisms to identify and address any inequities in patient care. Lead by example and demonstrate a commitment to equity in all aspects of healthcare delivery. Ultimately, it's about creating an environment where every team member is empowered to advocate for equitable care, ensuring that patients receive the highest quality treatment regardless of their background.