Diversity and Inclusion in Breast Imaging and Radiology at Large: What Can We Do to Improve?

A racially and ethnically diverse healthcare workforce leads to increased access to care and better health outcomes. Radiology and specifically the patient-centered subspecialty of breast imaging have a growing mismatch between the demographics of the physician workforce and the patient population served. Identifying and addressing the barriers for diversity is imperative in order to decrease disparities in breast cancer morbidity and mortality and achieve excellence in patient care.

Three major barriers to promoting diversity and inclusion in the field of breast imaging and in the specialty of radiology more generally are unconscious bias, lack of mentorship for underrepresented minority (URM) students, and career development challenges facing women in radiology. We focus on these three issues and provide suggestions for addressing each of them.

Tackling unconscious bias through encouraging individual accountability and establishing implicit bias programs at the institutional level, supporting both formal and informal mentorship opportunities for URMs, and creating an environment to support women in leadership will bring us one step closer to fostering a diverse and inclusive breast imaging workforce and meeting the healthcare needs of the diverse US population.