Hospital Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Efforts: Perspectives of Patient and Family Advisors.

Background And Objectives: Patient and family advisory councils are common within children's hospitals. However, lack of diversity among patient and family advisors (PFAs) may result in exclusion of crucial perspectives and perpetuate inequities. We sought to understand PFA perspectives on how children's hospitals should approach: (1) recruitment and support of PFAs from groups at greater risk of health inequities; and (2) development of meaningful partnerships with PFAs or patient and family advisory councils on institutional diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Patient and Family Advisory Councils: Advancing Best Practice in Children's Hospitals.

Introduction: This qualitative research study explored practices that support and advance diverse membership in Patient and Family Advisory Councils (PFACs) in children's hospitals and the involvement of PFACs in organization-level diversity, equity, and inclusion work.

Method: This study consisted of a focused literature review and 17 key informant interviews. The study sought to identify important learnings about (1) recruiting and supporting patient and family advisors (PFAs) from historically marginalized populations and (2) ways to develop and sustain meaningful partnerships with PFAs and PFACs in diversity, equity, and inclusion work.

Strategies to Counteract Impact of Harmful Bias in Selection of Medical Residents.

Human biases impact medical care in ways that perpetuate health disparities. Research has demonstrated that biases negatively affect patient outcomes and stifle diversity across the physician workforce, further compounding health disparities by worsening patient-physician concordance. Taken as one, the application, interview, recruitment, and selection processes employed by residency programs has been one of the critical junctures where bias has exacerbated inequities among future physicians.

Reducing Caregiver Hunger During Pediatric Hospitalization.

Background And Objectives: Pediatric hospitalizations are costly, stressful events for families. Many caregivers, especially those with lower incomes, struggle to afford food while their child is hospitalized. We sought to decrease the mean percentage of caregivers of Medicaid-insured and uninsured children who reported being hungry during their child's hospitalization from 86% to <24%.