Toward Health Care Equity: Sensitive Care for a Diverse Patient Population Doody's Expert Review Review Questionnaire ISBN: 9781635853278 ISBN-10: 1635853273 Copyright: 2023 Edition: 1st Author: The Joint Commission, Doody's Expert Review    Score: 82 Doody's Star Rating™ and Doody's Expert Review provide by Doody Enterprises, Inc. Reviewer: Anna Helm,  BS, MPH  (Multnomah County) Description The book provides a description of some of the many ways that individual patients' diversity may affect their health outcomes and interactions with the healthcare system, including their providers. This guide builds upon Cultural and Religious Sensitivity: A Pocket Guide for Health Care Professionals, 3rd Edition, published by Joint Commission Resources in 2018. Purpose The primary purpose of this book is to educate healthcare professionals on the myriad ways in which their patients are diverse and how that diversity may impact the patients' interactions with providers and the healthcare system. It is intended to help providers recognize and address assumptions, stereotypes, and systemic healthcare biases regarding both individual patients and groups, ultimately teaching the provision of culturally sensitive care. This is a highly critical aspect of health care that may be glossed over, especially in the current healthcare environment in which staffing shortages are increasing and the emphasis on reimbursement seems to be ever more important. This book will sensitize those healthcare professionals who have access to it. Audience All healthcare providers, whether they practice in hospitals, local or state health departments, community health clinics, or long-term care facilities should have access to a reference addressing this topic. This book can be used as the basis for developing continuing education courses. It would also be appropriate for students in all healthcare fields at both the graduate and undergraduate levels. Features The book discusses the ways in which diversity based on religion and spirituality, race and ethnicity, sexual orientation, and gender identity may impact patients' perceptions of care recommendations. It also explores age-related diversity as well as physical, psychological, developmental, and intellectual differences. It emphasizes the need for providers to be sensitive and responsive to attitudes, restrictions, and practices of various groups while acknowledging that there may be individual variations within each group. There is no mention of those who are agnostic or atheist, despite there being many more people in the United States who profess to be agnostic or atheist than several of the religious groups discussed. The book also does not cover the unique experiences of individuals and groups who have migrated to or sought refuge in the United States, especially those whose relocation was the result of persecution, personal violence, war, extreme poverty, or depravation, including food insecurity or famine. The sensitivity of some, especially those who are more vulnerable to being infantilized or patronized, is not covered. It is important to consider these additional experiences and their impact individuals' interactions with care providers and responses to care recommendations. A comprehensive index would add to the book's usefulness. Assessment The book addresses a very important topic and contains much useful information. I sincerely hope that in the not-too-distant future, The Joint Commission and the Public Health Accreditation Board will move toward a collaborative guide that recognizes the diversity within our population and describes a seamless, equitable healthcare system. Review Questionnaire Range Question Score 1-10 Are the products's objectives met? 6 1-10 Rate the worthiness of those objectives. 10 1-5 Is it directed at an appropriate audience? 5 1-5 Is there significant duplication? (1=significant, 5=insignificant) 4 1-5 Are there significant omissions? (1=significant, 5=insignificant) 3 1-5 Rate the authority of the producers. 4 1-5 Is there sufficient use of hypertext links, bookmarks? N/A 1-5 Does the product perform as expected? N/A 1-5 Rate the ease of installation. N/A 1-5 Appropriate use of graphics, sound, video? N/A 1-5 Rate the quality of visuals, sound. N/A 1-5 Rate the ease of navigation. N/A 1-5 Is this format appropriate for the material? 5 1-5 If documentation is provided for this product, rate the quality of documentation N/A 1-10 Is this a worthwhile contribution to the field? 8 1-10 If this is an upgrade/2nd or later edition, is this new upgrade/edition needed? N/A ©2024 Doody Enterprises, Inc.