The Intersociety Group on Diversity, in partnership with researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles, released results of the first study of its kind to explore perspectives on workforce diversity and health equity among practicing GI and hepatology professionals.
The report — Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in GI and Hepatology: A Survey of Where We Stand — was published jointly in Gastroenterology, Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, HEPATOLOGY, and The American Journal of Gastroenterology. An executive summary is also available in the Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition.
Key findings:
1. Many are complacent with current levels of diversity. Despite the well-recognized under-representation of certain racial and ethnic groups in GI/hepatology, a small proportion of survey participants (one-third or fewer) felt that racial/ethnic representation was insufficient in the educational/training pipeline, among practicing professionals, or in GI/hepatology leadership. There was a clear discrepancy in satisfaction with workplace diversity among GI and hepatology physicians by race and ethnicity: Overall, 63% of Black physicians were very or somewhat unsatisfied with workplace diversity, whereas 78% of White physicians were very or somewhat satisfied.
2. Interventions are needed. Among those who recommended interventions to enhance racial and gender diversity in the profession, the most common suggestions were to increase the following:
- Mentorship opportunities for resident and medical students who are women or from racial and ethnic populations underrepresented in medicine relative to their numbers in the general population. These groups have traditionally included Latino (i.e., Latino/a/x), Black/African American, Native American individuals (namely, American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians), Pacific Islanders, and mainland Puerto Ricans.
- Representation of underrepresented in medicine GI/hepatology professionals in academic and professional society leadership.
More than 1,200 individuals participated in this nationwide, cross-sectional, 33-question survey. The survey was developed by University of California, Los Angeles investigators Folasade P. May, MD, PhD, MPhil; Harman Rahal, MD; James H. Tabibian, MD, PhD; and Liu Yang, PhD. The IGD, co-chaired at the time by Darrell M. Gray, II, MD, MPH, and Rachel Issaka, MD, MAS, provided input and facilitated survey distribution.
