SCCM Resource Library-Healthcare Redesign: Embedding Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Critical Care

Pdf Summary

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted health inequities and strained U.S. healthcare, particularly affecting critical care sectors. Dr. Robert O. Roswell, a DEI advocate from the Zucker School of Medicine, addressed these issues during the 2023 Critical Care Congress. He discussed the evolution of the Quintuple Aim, which adds health equity to the objectives of enhancing patient experience, outcomes, reducing costs, and promoting clinician well-being.<br /><br />Dr. Roswell emphasized that achieving health equity is not controversial but essential for delivering quality healthcare, which necessitates addressing health disparities and understanding the broader determinants of health, including social, economic, and structural factors beyond biology. He cited a stark racial disparity in maternal mortality rates, showing significant differences among Hispanic, White, and Black women.<br /><br />Roswell highlighted that systemic policies, like redlining, have contributed to healthcare disparities, resulting in a 'syndemic' during pandemics, wherein social and economic inequities exacerbate health inequities. Moving beyond traditional healthcare determinants is crucial, according to Roswell, to address these issues effectively. He reported how many medical professionals experience burnout, linked to factors like patient load, team dynamics, and hospital culture. <br /><br />To foster an inclusive workplace, Roswell's institution utilized virtual reality experiences to increase empathy towards racism, subsequently reducing microaggressions and fostering a more inclusive environment. He suggests embedding health equity metrics into quality strategies, eliminating non-medically based race adjustments from clinical algorithms, applying an equity lens to care processes, and addressing patients' social needs. <br /><br />Dr. Roswell reiterates that health equity isn't merely idealistic—it saves lives. He illustrated healthcare's journey from disparities to equity as an ongoing "work in progress," urging collective action in healthcare improvement.

Asset Subtitle

Professional Development and Education, 2023, 0:05:57

Asset Caption

"This article was first published in the Spring 2023 issue of Critical Connections.

The COVID-19 pandemic has pressure-tested the U.S. healthcare system and its critical care infrastructure. Health inequities were accentuated, which led to a strain on critical care physicians and socially vulnerable people. Robert O. Roswell, MD, associate dean for diversity, equity, and inclusion and professor of cardiology and science education at the Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell in Hempstead, New York, USA, discussed these issues during the Max Harry Weil Honorary Lecture at the Society of Critical Care Medicine’s 2023 Critical Care Congress.

Critical Connections, the critical care industry’s only newsmagazine, provides information on cutting-edge topics in critical care useful to the entire multiprofessional team."

Meta Tag

Content Type Article

Knowledge Area Professional Development and Education

Knowledge Level Foundational

Membership Level Associate

Membership Level Professional

Membership Level Select

Tag Diversity Equity and Inclusion DEI

Year 2023

Keywords

COVID-19

health inequities

critical care

Quintuple Aim

health equity

social determinants

racial disparity

syndemic

burnout

inclusive workplace

	Society of Critical Care Medicine 500 Midway Drive Mount Prospect, IL 60056 USA Phone: +1 847 827-6888 Fax: +1 847 439-7226 Email: support@sccm.org	Contact Us About SCCM Newsroom Advertising & Sponsorship DONATE	MySCCM LearnICU Patients & Families Surviving Sepsis Campaign Critical Care Societies Collaborative	GET OUR NEWSLETTER
© Society of Critical Care Medicine. All rights reserved. \| Privacy Statement \| Terms & Conditions The Society of Critical Care Medicine, SCCM, and Critical Care Congress are registered trademarks of the Society of Critical Care Medicine.