Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/1468749
42 PATIENT & CAREGIVER EXPERIENCE Only 22% of Black patients have a healthcare provider of the same race, study fi nds By Kelly Gooch P atients of color are signifi cantly less likely to have healthcare provid- ers of the same race compared with white patients, signaling a need to diversify the healthcare workforce to help promote equity and reduce disparities, according to a study published March 23 by the Urban Institute, a nonprofi t economic and social policy research organization. The study, conducted with funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, is based on data from the April 2021 round of the Urban Institute's Health Reform Monitoring Survey. More than 9,000 adults participated in the latest round. Four fi ndings: 1. Black adults (22.2 percent) were not as likely as white adults (73.8 percent) or adults of other races (34.4 percent) to report being the same race as their healthcare providers. 2. Less than one-quarter of Hispanic/Latino adults (23.1 percent) re- ported sharing a racial, ethnic, or language background with their usual health provider. 3. Non-Hispanic/Latino white adults (70.4 percent) were more likely than Hispanic/Latino adults (55.8 percent) and non-Hispanic/Latino Black adults (65.6 percent) to have a usual healthcare provider. 4. Adults with public or private insurance (68.3 percent and 72.8 percent, respectively) were more likely than uninsured adults (28.5 percent) to have a usual healthcare provider. Considering the study fi ndings, researchers recommended policy- makers take actions to improve access to medical translation services, provide training on culturally competent care and look at avenues to invest in making the healthcare workforce more diverse long term via medical education. "Steps to address the imbalance include making medical education more affordable for underrepresented groups, diversifying the health- care teams serving people of color and those with limited English profi ciency, and holding providers accountable for providing culturally effective care to patients in the language they prefer," Dulce Gonzalez, a research associate at the Urban Institute, said in a news release. n Guthrie names 1st chief patient experience offi cer By Cailey Gleeson S ayre, Pa.-based Guthrie Clinic named Koryn Johnston, DO, the organization's fi rst chief patient experience offi cer April 27. Dr. Johnston joined the Guthrie Medical Group in 2014 as a family medicine physician. She has served as the sys- tem's physician liaison for patient experience since 2020. "Dr. Johnston brings expertise and a fresh approach to patient-focused care," said Edmund Sabanegh, president and CEO of the Guthrie Clinic. "This is a historic position and refl ects Guthrie's unwavering commitment to being a patient-fi rst organization." n 5 things that hospitals must consider when monitoring online patient reviews By Katie Adams S earch engines are usually the fi rst place patients go when seeking a healthcare pro- vider, so it's imperative hospitals keep tabs on their online reputation, according to a report released March 16 by brand management fi rm Reputation. e researchers analyzed about 2.8 million online patient reviews across 179,073 physicians and locations. Here are fi ve notable fi ndings from the report: 1. Online review volume jumped 50 percent for hospitals and 58 percent for physicians in 2021 compared with 2020. 2. Seventy-two percent of U.S. adults read online patient ratings and reviews when choosing a provider, and 65 percent of U.S. adults said they expect providers to respond to reviews. 3. Seventy-two percent of healthcare consumers want their provider to be rated 4 out of 5 stars or higher in online reviews. 4. Google is the most popular source among healthcare consumers for searching for providers — more popular than provider websites, health- care-specifi c websites or social media. 5. A physician's bedside manner is the biggest driver of positive sentiment among healthcare consumers. Ratings of staff were one of the biggest drivers of negative sentiment. n