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Research Objectives
Recognition is growing regarding the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion
(DEI) for quality healthcare service delivery. To better understand existing DEI-related
challenges, we documented interactions (experiences) between patients and undergraduate
research collaborators (RCs) that required a supervisor to address with a DEI-informed
response.
Design
Qualitative study.
Setting
Outpatient/homecare.
Participants
Four undergraduate research collaborators (RCs).
Interventions
N/A.
Main Outcome Measures
Primary: Categories of experiences that warranted RC processing with a supervisor.
Experiences were limited to explicit verbal actions initiated by patients with brain
injury, cancer, dementia, and/or mental health diagnoses within the first year of
RC employment. Following a grounded theory approach, open coding of data was applied
to analyze experiential categories.
Secondary
(a) Available DEI trainings and (b) RCs feedback about those trainings.
Results: Primary: We identified three experiential categories
: (1) slurs and stereotypes (e.g., racial, gendered), (2) illusory superiority, meaning
the patient claimed superior knowledge of a concept relative to the RC in a non-realistic
manner (e.g., mansplaining, “Islamasplaining” meaning explaining the Islamic faith
to someone who practices it when the person explaining does not identify as Muslim),
and (3) othering.
Secondary: (a) Available trainings were found to address (i) cultural sensitivity,
(ii) implicit bias, and (iii) legal recourse regarding equal opportunity. (b) As acknowledged
by facilitators, trainings did not guide RCs or supervisors regarding management of
DEI-sensitive experiences while maintaining a high quality of care delivery to the
patients initiating the experiences. RCs noted that some trainings fit into category
2, meaning that the trainings explained to the RCs what it might be like to experience
the types of actions that they were reporting, without acknowledging the RCs existing
expertise in handling such actions.
Conclusions
RCs may experience slurs/stereotypes, illusory superiority, and/or othering while
assisting in patient care. Extant trainings did not guide management of such experiences.
Author(s) Disclosures
Authors Taha, Bibi, Wali, Boakye-Dankwah, and Wilder have nothing to disclose. Author
Worthen-Chaudhari stands to receive royalties from these start-up companies in the
rehabilitation space: Rekovo, Games That Move You, Perfect Practice.
Key Words
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Copyright
© 2022 Published by Elsevier Inc.
