Implementing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) into the acupuncture practice from both the employee front and patient front is about helping future acupuncture providers to better comprehend the specific issues that each patient or employee is facing to provide better care. This is vital to addressing the persistent and widely recounted inequities in the health care system, and their affect on the health of patients and employees in the United States and beyond.
There are a multitude of benefits to having a clear and concise DEI statement for your practice as a whole, and as healthcare providers, we have a responsibility to combat these inequities. Not to mention that the NCCAOM is adamant about DEI education, and its diplomates must be well-versed in the subject. Acupuncture treatment has so much to offer patients in all sectors of society, and each should be treated with understanding, respect, and value. Our job, in addition to physically treating patients, is to promote diverseness in all aspects of running and publicizing your practice.
Importance of DEI in the Acupuncture Field
On one hand, even though we aim to be included amongst conventional medical providers, some may feel that since we are providing alternative medicine we are already innately embracing diversity. This is far from the truth. Efforts to improve DEI in healthcare falls on all of our shoulders, both western and eastern medical providers alike. Efforts to improve education and implementation amongst providers of DEI in healthcare helps address inequities and leads to improved healthcare for all not based on socio-economic background or race.
According to NCCAOM, They View DEI As:
- Diversity – “the representation of many different demographic backgrounds, identities (both innate and selected), and the collective strengths of their experiences, beliefs, values, skills, and perspectives.”
- Equity – “an equitable environment recognizes and eliminates barriers to full participation at individual and systemic levels, challenges intentional and unintentional forms of bias, harassment, and discrimination.”
- Inclusion – “the act of establishing philosophies, policies, practices, and procedures so that organizations and individuals contributing to the Commission’s success have fair, equal, and unbiased access to opportunities, information, and resources.”
The NCCAOM, rightly so, is very adamant about their non-discrimination policy, and with diplomates obtaining DEI education as part of their ethics continuing education requirements.
The objective of DEI efforts is to cultivate an environment within the acupuncture office (and healthcare umbrella in general) where people from all backgrounds are valued, respected, and included. It is not just a matter of going through the motions for performative reasons, but acupuncturists should act to implement and embody DEI within their practice expanding their outreach in the community. Acupuncturists can do this by first addressing implicit biases. Implicit bias are judgements that are held unconsciously about people or groups. Since it is unconscious, it can be difficult to see it in ourselves or employees.
Why DEI is Important in the Acupuncturist’s Office:
- Trust/Representation – patients that feel their cultural or societal background is understood, respected, and represented, are more likely to trust and follow your treatment plan as well as addressing health concerns. Essentially, when there is diversity in providers, it creates a ripple effect to ensure that healthcare equities are implemented across the board from the office to research.
- Improved Patient Care – diverse medical teams help patients to see a variety of backgrounds and experiences to give the best insight into their care.
- Higher Employee Satisfaction – when our employees feel valued, heard, and recognized, they are more likely to retain their employment and provide more effective and efficient work.
- Strengthened Quality of Care – encouraging and welcoming diverse experiences leads to a problem-solving environment enhancing your acupuncture services.
Having a diverse acupuncture office across the board has the potential for acupuncture medicine to be able to reach more of the community, and help improve health. The concept of DEI has been around for decades, but it is essential we have a deep understanding that DEI.
DEI is not just a trend, but should be taken seriously, and implemented throughout the healthcare realm including acupuncture. Acupuncturists should also be aware of inequities in their own practice, whether from employees or patients in order to maintain and encourage a safe space for all.
Types of Bias & How We Can Help:
- Ageism – a variation of discrimination where patients or employees are treated poorly based on their age, and can be applicable to older or younger people. In younger people this is sometimes known as “youngism”.
- Acupuncturists can help by avoiding “elder-speak” or “younger-speak”, involving caregivers, treating patients as individuals without making assumptions about their health, presenting a positive image of their health, increasing geriatric and pediatric education, and provide patient centered care.
- Acupuncturists can help by avoiding “elder-speak” or “younger-speak”, involving caregivers, treating patients as individuals without making assumptions about their health, presenting a positive image of their health, increasing geriatric and pediatric education, and provide patient centered care.
- Race or Ethnic Bias – a personal and unreasonable judgment or prejudice made solely on the person’s race or ethnic background. This includes negative outward and emotional reactions to members of a particular group, engaging in racial discrimination, and playing into negative stereotypes.
- Acupuncturists can help by putting yourself in the patient’s shoes by putting in the work of understanding, building partnerships with patients utilizing terms like “we” or “us”, counteract negative stereotypes through portrayal of a multitude of races in a positive light in your practice.
- Acupuncturists can help by putting yourself in the patient’s shoes by putting in the work of understanding, building partnerships with patients utilizing terms like “we” or “us”, counteract negative stereotypes through portrayal of a multitude of races in a positive light in your practice.
- LGBTQ+ Bias – discrimination or prejudice against those who identify as a part of the LGBTQ+ community. Sometimes this is most certainly a conscious discrimination, but there are also times that it is unconscious as a result of living in a society where being heterosexual is portrayed as “normal”. It is our job as providers to look at ourselves and employees to determine if we need more education, understanding, and empathy for the LGBTQ+ community, and how we can contribute to the positive outcomes of their healthcare.
- Acupuncturists can help by educating themselves, using respectful language such as the patient’s preferred pronouns and gender affirming language, advocating for change in LGBTQ health across healthcare platforms, asking questions regarding their identity, orientation, and pronouns without judgement, and creating an inclusive office environment with LGBTQ+ friendly ads, symbols, and intake to name a few.
- Acupuncturists can help by educating themselves, using respectful language such as the patient’s preferred pronouns and gender affirming language, advocating for change in LGBTQ health across healthcare platforms, asking questions regarding their identity, orientation, and pronouns without judgement, and creating an inclusive office environment with LGBTQ+ friendly ads, symbols, and intake to name a few.
- Gender Bias – prejudice against or favoritism toward a particular gender linked to objectification and stereotyping.
- Acupuncturists can help by participating in training opportunities, educating themselves on bias, encouraging diversity in the office, follow healthcare guidelines based on evidence not conscious or unconscious bias, use gender neutral language, and utilize checklists to be sure patients are evaluated the same way.
- Acupuncturists can help by participating in training opportunities, educating themselves on bias, encouraging diversity in the office, follow healthcare guidelines based on evidence not conscious or unconscious bias, use gender neutral language, and utilize checklists to be sure patients are evaluated the same way.
- Ability Bias – assuming that able-bodied people are “normal” and that those who have disabilities have to try to achieve normalcy or distance themselves from abled people. This inherently makes disabilities a “bad” thing or a “flaw” rather than simply human diversity.
- Acupuncturists can help by providing accessible care or employment opportunity to those with disabilities, become self-aware about their own ability bias defining a patient by their strengths rather than their weaknesses, and get educated on common disabilities you see in your community.
It is our job as acupuncture providers to make certain that all of our patients are treated with respect and feel valued, and make certain that appropriate sign posting in the practice and employee zones. Essentially, the main objective is to encourage a diversified office to change how individuals see acupuncture as a whole.
We have to meet patients where they are, and help them to understand from their lens how chiropractic works and can benefit them within their social and cultural beliefs and backgrounds. Providing a DEI type of practice can affect how patients feel about chiropractic care and how we can help them, and given the safe space to do so, these patients will recognize the benefits of chiropractic treatment.
How to Implement DEI in Your Practice
Acupuncturists being medical providers, and becoming more of a mainstream part of healthcare in the United States, have the capability to help patients and the profession by committing to DEI mentality and practice. We can better serve a wide variety of people and communities, but we must also be motivated to do it.
Implementing DEI in Your Acupuncture Office; Patient Facing:
- Community Participation – grow the marketing and get in touch with diverse groups to boost awareness of the benefits of acupuncture for them.
- Employee Training – integrate cultural awareness into training receptionists and acupuncturists in the practice.
- Cultural Adaptations – modifying protocols that could potentially be culturally inconsiderate.
- Intake Forms – this encompasses asking questions on the forms regarding the patient’s culture, their preferred name, gender identity, and pronouns.
- Translation Assistance – think about incorporating access to translation services
Take a look at yourself, how you want your practice to be perceived by your community, and how you contact multiple groups in your community. Another thing to consider as an acupuncture provider is your social media presence in both your posts and marketing. What are you putting out to your community and followers? Do your social posts and print media only display, intentional or not, one group of people? Are there any potential negative language or insinuations portrayed of diverse groups? Do your employees reflect or hurt DEI policies?
These are all questions that will allow you to put yourself in the patient’s shoes to ultimately run a more inclusive and aware practice to provide well-rounded and diverse healthcare. You want to make sure that you send the message that you are ready and available to serve all groups of people.
Implementing DEI Strategies in Your Acupuncture Office; Provider Facing:
- Diversity and Cultural Competency Training – not only is it a requirement for many state renewals and NCCAOM, but also beneficial training for all employees in your office.
- Staff Diverseness – recruiting employees from various backgrounds possibly asking for language skills as part of the hiring process.
- Community Outreach – collaborate with local businesses to get the word out about your services in diverse areas.
- Inclusive Office Workspace – inclusive intakes accessible in multiple languages, diverse media/artwork displayed in the office and patient spaces, utilizing gender neutral language, and being considerate a person’s preferred pronouns.
- Patient Feedback – get feedback from patients in reference to their experience regarding the cultural/social consideration within your practice and with you as a provider.
- Patient Centered Practices – respect the diverse needs while listening and seeing the patient where they are to determine how their backgrounds and how they may influence their treatment.
It goes without saying that we should also be sensitive to religious beliefs, systemic barriers, and disabilities not only in the acupuncture profession but in healthcare as a whole. Acupuncturists also need to put in the work for being accepting of everyone by joining the conversation, and take ownership of our profession.
Reaching diverse groups that are not represented well in the profession or community will enable DEI not only in our practice, but also in the profession to have a variety of representation for our patients. Most importantly, it is essential that acupuncturists create a public facing DEI policy. This will make it known to diverse patients and those who associate with the practice that you and the practice value and uphold those DEI morals.