Competence development among healthcare professionals through an online diversity training - a scoping review

The current shortage of healthcare professionals makes international recruitment necessary. This also increases the diversity of teams in terms of characteristics such as age, gender, profession, values, and attitudes. The increase in team diversity can lead to challenges. Online diversity training may improve collaboration within diverse teams and facilitate integration. However, there is limited empirical evidence on the effectiveness of different methods of online diversity training for healthcare professionals. This scoping review aims to map existing research in the field.

The search was conducted in PubMed, Business Source Premier, CINAHL and PsycInfo. Empirical studies published in English and German between 2014 and 2024 that evaluated online or hybrid diversity training were included.

Of the 4,110 studies identified, 23 met the inclusion criteria. Most were conducted in the United States (14 studies). The duration of training sessions varied from one hour to several weeks, with a predominant thematic focus on cultural diversity (16 studies). Program formats also varied, ranging from live online lectures to digital training courses delivered through learning portals or virtual reality (VR) simulations. Results demonstrated that online training has the potential to enhance diversity competence. Participants reported increased self-efficacy and knowledge, as well as a greater willingness to confront biases. Some studies have also observed changes in participants' behavior post-training.

Online diversity training programs are promising for enhancing cultural competence among healthcare professionals, particularly in knowledge and attitudes. However, technical and organizational challenges may hinder implementation, and further research is needed to clarify their effectiveness in achieving long-term behavioral change.