The Association Between Surgeons' Intention to Work with Patients from Diverse Cultures and their Awareness of Ethno-Racial Orthopedic Health Care Disparities.

Abstract

Objectives: Surgeons' awareness of ethno-racial disparities in orthopedic care is critical to the implementation and success of efforts to reduce them. We examine the association between surgeons' self-reported intentions to enhance their ability to work with orthopedic patients from diverse cultures and their awareness of disparities.

Methods: Seventy U.S. members of the Science of Variation Group, an international partnership of surgeons who treat orthopedic conditions, completed a survey. We used path analytical structural equation modeling analysis framework.

Results: Surgeons' intention to improve their ability to work with patients from different cultures was associated with their awareness of disparities at the individual, interpersonal, and system levels, after controlling for gender, race, social desirability, and prior training in working with patients from different cultures.

Conclusions: Education and training programs should target surgeons' motivation for cultural competence and foster supportive attitudes through outcome-related incentives to help increase surgeon awareness of ethno-racial care disparities.