The Role and Function of Diversity in the Medical Field - Research Paper Example

The basic explanation of diversity is the word varied. Therefore, diversity in a population means differences or variations or disparities in race, cultures, ethnicity, values, socioeconomic status, gender, age, physical abilities, sexual orientation, religion, lifestyles, and other aspects of life. The topic of diversity in human society is very important because every person encounters diversity every time they meet and mingle with other people who are unique in their combinations of race, culture, and other elements of diversity. Diversity plays important roles and functions in society as a whole and in specific fields like medicine.

There is a dire need now and in the future to recruit a diverse workforce so as to minimize labor shortages and deal with disparities in health status and caregiving among the minority groups. Diversity in the medical field can be compared to a business case where diverse management teams are known to outperform those teams where everybody waits for the decisions or direction from the CEO before sharing their opinions. These diverse management teams usually embrace multiple relevant approaches and views regarding every situation at hand (Page 2007).

Diversity in the healthcare workforce begins at the top with senior leadership and hospital boards. Working with a diverse workforce requires a team approach. Page (2007) states that in a team approach, members demonstrate a continuous commitment to attract, maintain and promote a diverse target; people of diverse needs, color, culture, and many more. They are also committed to the development of a management culture that accepts and rewards diversity in all sectors. A healthcare workforce that uses the team approach is more likely to come up with innovative programs and quality improvement tools that are focused on the improvement of the quality of healthcare for all patients.

A diverse workforce working as a team is instrumental in boosting the level of professional confidence in their ability to lead and succeed as healthcare givers and as healthcare managers. It allows individuals to develop the networking and acquire interpersonal skills necessary for communicating with managers within their organizations. This will be useful in advancing the mission for their organizations and departments. A having a diverse healthcare workforce will enhance healthcare through the development, assessment, and implementation of tools that enhance the understanding of healthcare concerns and issues.

An example of the above is regarding effective and appropriate communication with patients and their families which English is not their first language or, they are deaf or hard of hearing. The team approach is also very important in realizing gaps that exist in the provision of healthcare to diverse minority groups. This is because a team approach by the diverse workforce will lead to sufficient collection of data among these underserved and vulnerable groups.

Improving the accuracy of patient ethnicity and racial information can be of much help to hospitals in their vision of providing high-quality and safe healthcare for all patients. It will also be more important in policymaking as it will reveal disparities in the access, utilization, and medical outcomes of the various patient groups. This means a diverse workforce reduces disparities in health care. According to Page (2007), there are opportunities both at the state and national levels for those hospitals which are ready to accept the challenge to incorporate diversity both in their leadership initiate for example The Management Academy.

Conclusion
Diversity in the healthcare environment necessitates diversity in its workforce as well. At the same time, the diverse workforce needs to have a team approach in their work so as to attain a common goal. That is, to deliver healthcare services that are most culturally sensitive, proficient, and of the highest quality. It is for this reason that all hospitals should incorporate diversity both in their leadership initiatives and workforce strategies. Graduate students should be provided with training, mentoring, and real-work experiences that will help them develop these strengths and make them an essential part of their practice. United as one, the healthcare workforce can impact the needs of the diverse populations in the society and guarantee them safe, adequate, and quality health care while reducing disparities in healthcare.