Effectiveness of a comprehensive bystander anti-racism intervention for healthcare staff in Australia

Given the limited research on anti-racism interventions in healthcare, this study examined the effectiveness of bystander intervention training in the context of a comprehensive, multi-pronged approach to bystander anti-racism intervention for healthcare staff in one local health district in Sydney, Australia.

Pre-post-follow-up study.

Data were collected over 2 years (January 2021 to February 2023), at three time points through an online survey. Supplementary data were also obtained from the public sector's state annual employee experience survey.

The results showed that the training improved staff's understanding of racism and its impacts on health, increased their confidence and likelihood to respond to a racist incident at work, and increased their feelings of being supported by their workplace and/or manager to respond to an act of racism. Most staff were satisfied with the training, found it useful and would recommend it to colleagues. Supplementary data from the state annual employee experience survey showed that reported racism decreased slightly, and overall satisfaction with how their reported racism experience was handled more than doubled.

The local health district developed and evaluated the effectiveness of its comprehensive, multi-pronged Addressing Racism in Healthcare Strategy. The strategy included the foundational principles and strategies for effective anti-racism interventions in healthcare settings: laying the foundation for the anti-racism intervention, addressing institutional racism and addressing personally-mediated racism. The Addressing Racism in Healthcare Strategy is a successful model that other health districts can adapt to promote inclusivity and cultural safety across the broader health system.