Addressing the ACGME Mandate for Healthcare Disparities Education in Residency Programs: A Needs Assessment

Abstract

PURPOSE: To assess current opinions and efforts from radiology residency program leadership regarding healthcare disparities (HCD) education for residents. METHODS: Radiology residency program directors across the United States were sent a 10-item survey and asked a series of qualitative questions regarding their opinions about HCD and current methods of implementation into their residency curriculum, in addition to demographic information such as program location and setting. RESULTS: 73 out of 334 program directors responded. 49.3% were located in the Northeast, 16.4% in the Southeast, 16.4% in the Midwest, 12.3% in the Southwest, and 5.5% in the Pacific. Community programs made up 16.4% of respondents, while academic programs made up 76.7%. 6.8% identified as "other". 98.6% agreed with the provided definition of HCD. 83.6% agreed or strongly agreed that HCD present an obstacle to providing imaging care. 74.0% agreed or strongly agreed that HCD education is an essential component of residency training. However, 74.0% agreed or strongly agreed that HCD education is difficult to implement due to competing educational requirements. Only 16.4% agreed or strongly agreed that they had sufficient material on HCD to train residents. CONCLUSION: Although many radiology residency programs agree that HCD education is essential in residency training, the majority feel that a curriculum is difficult to implement and that they lack sufficient resources. This study confirms the need to address this gap with a standardized curriculum which has been developed and is discussed.