Professional Development in Health Sciences: Scoping Review on Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, Indigeneity, and...

Area of Science:

• Health Professions Education
• Health Services Research
• Social Determinants of Health

Background:

• Equity, diversity, inclusion, indigeneity, and accessibility (EDIIA) are essential for healthcare professional development (PD).
• Effective EDIIA competency improves patient health, staff well-being, and healthcare delivery.
• A significant gap exists in understanding the efficacy of EDIIA-based PD programs and their components.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review quantitative data on the effectiveness of EDIIA-based PD programs for healthcare workers.
• To identify key features associated with increased quantitative efficacy in EDIIA training.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive scoping review was conducted using multiple databases (EBSCOhost, MEDLINE, PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL).
• The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement guided the review process.
• 36 articles were included after reviewing 14,316 references, encompassing 6552 participants.

Main Results:

• Interventions focused on culture (22), gender (11), sexual orientation (9), indigeneity (6), race (6), ableism (1), and ageism (1).
• The review identified key features that correlate with enhanced quantitative efficacy of EDIIA-based PD training.
• Participants were predominantly women (72.9%).

Conclusions:

• Despite increased interest in EDIIA PD, significant disparities in care for marginalized populations persist.
• Key features associated with effective EDIIA PD training were identified.
• Future research should prioritize large-scale implementation and evaluation of these interventions across healthcare settings.