Implicit bias among healthcare professionals is one of many factors contributing to disparities in healthcare and health outcomes. Similar to the general population, clinicians may hold unconscious attitudes or stereotypes related to race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, age, weight, mental illness, and other characteristics, which can influence communication, treatment decisions, and quality of care. Although…
A patient-centered approach to clinical care is associated with improved adherence, greater patient and clinician satisfaction, increased trust, reduced anxiety, and better health outcomes. Patient-centered communication (PCC) emphasizes skills such as active listening, empathy, partnership building, and understanding patients’ experiences and social context to strengthen the clinician-patient relationship. However, disparities in PCC can occur across…
The COVID-19 pandemic caused a rapid expansion of the use of travel nurses—registered nurses (RNs) hired on short-term contracts to meet immediate labor needs. What began as a pandemic-era response has become increasingly normalized, prompting a reconsideration of the assumed relationship between professionalism and tenure. Yet little is known about how this expansion has shaped…
Attention to burnout among healthcare professionals has increased since the COVID-19 pandemic, with known associations of negative clinical and organizational outcomes as well as reduced quality of life. However, faculty responsible for training the next generation of healthcare professionals have received less attention, despite experiencing significant burnout. Faculty from underrepresented minority backgrounds often have additional…
The COVID-19 pandemic intensified longstanding health workforce shortages, with hospitals, nursing facilities, and rural providers struggling to retain staff even after COVID-19 hospitalizations declined. Historically, healthcare employment has shown a countercyclical relationship with the broader economy, expanding during downturns such as the Great Recession. These dynamics, influenced by gender, race, and macroeconomic conditions, suggest that…
Emergency medical services (EMS) are a critical part of the US healthcare, public health, and public safety systems, providing both emergency and non-emergency care across diverse pre-hospital settings. EMS clinicians hold tiered credentials based on education, certification, and licensure, yet workforce shortages persist due to the absence of a comprehensive national database. This article examines…
As the COVID-19 pandemic progressed, state and federal governments, along with home care agencies, implemented system-level changes to help retain home care workers in response to evolving challenges and the availability of new resources and information. This article provides insights that can assist policymakers and employers in developing policies and resources to support the home…
As new equity, diversity, and inclusion programs emerge in physician assistant/associate (PA) education, there is a need to assess baseline levels of implicit and explicit biases among PA preceptors’ and trainees. This article explores implicit and explicit race (Black/White) and weight (fat/thin) biases among PA preceptors and trainees and discusses potential gaps in PA preceptor…
The healthcare sector in the US, traditionally a source of stable employment, experienced significant workforce disruptions during the pandemic, with job losses and elevated exit rates, especially among women and Black and Hispanic workers. While concerns about workforce diversity persist, little is known about who is entering the field post-pandemic, despite renewed and growing demand…
Staffing and ownership transparency have recently become key national policy priorities for skilled nursing facilities (SNFs), which are now facing heightened regulatory scrutiny. New federal regulations require greater transparency in reporting ownership changes and introduce controversial minimum staffing requirements for nursing positions. This article examines a staggered difference-in-differences (DID) analysis of whether SNF changes in…
