Racial Diversity Among American Cardiologists: Implications for the Past, Present, and Future
Amber E Johnson1,2, Mehret Birru Talabi1, Eliana Bonifacino1
1School of Medicine (A.E.J., M.B.T., E.B., A.J.C., E.M.D., P.K.D., L.M.D.C., U.R.E., A.M.G., M.V.H., A.J.J., C.R.J., N.L.J., L.M., M.A.N., G.S.N., O.O., S.O.-A., A.J.C.S., T.L.S., O.T., R.T., E.U., J.D.W., J.E.S.-P.).
Insights
Racial disparities in cardiovascular disease care persist in the US. Increasing diversity in the cardiology workforce can improve care quality and research outcomes for all patients.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Medicine
- Health Equity
- Medical Workforce Diversity
Background:
- Significant race-based disparities exist in US cardiovascular disease (CVD) care.
- Minority populations, including African American/Black, Hispanic/Latinx, and Native/Indigenous Americans, face higher CVD risks and receive lower-quality care.
- The current US cardiovascular workforce lacks racial diversity, not reflecting the nation's population.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight the impact of racial disparities in cardiovascular care.
- To emphasize the link between workforce diversity and healthcare/research quality.
- To propose strategies for enhancing racial diversity in cardiology.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing data on race-based disparities in cardiovascular care.
- Analysis of the association between physician racial background and care quality.
- Examination of the relationship between academic team diversity and research quality.
- Identification of barriers to workforce diversity.
Main Results:
- Care provided by racially diverse physicians is linked to improved quality for both minority and majority patients.
- Racial diversity in academic teams and research settings correlates with enhanced research quality.
- Barriers to achieving workforce diversity have been documented.
Conclusions:
- Enhancing racial diversity in the cardiology workforce is crucial for improving cardiovascular health equity.
- Strategies should focus on recruitment, retention, and addressing systemic barriers.
- The findings are relevant to academic, nonacademic, and community healthcare settings.
Abstract:
In the United States, race-based disparities in cardiovascular disease care have proven to be pervasive, deadly, and expensive. African American/Black, Hispanic/Latinx, and Native/Indigenous American individuals are at an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and are less likely to receive high-quality, evidence-based medical care as compared with their White American counterparts. Although the United States population is diverse, the cardiovascular workforce that provides its much-needed care lacks diversity. The available data show that care provided by physicians from racially diverse backgrounds is associated with better quality, both for minoritized patients and for majority patients. Not only is cardiovascular workforce diversity associated with improvements in health care quality, but racial diversity among academic teams and research scientists is linked with research quality. We outline documented barriers to achieving workforce diversity and suggest evidence-based strategies to overcome these barriers. Key strategies to enhance racial diversity in cardiology include improving recruitment and retention of racially diverse members of the cardiology workforce and focusing on cardiovascular health equity for patients. This review draws attention to academic institutions, but the implications should be considered relevant for nonacademic and community settings as well.
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