TANENBAUM CENTER FOR INTERRELIGIOUS UNDERSTANDING · 2016-07-18 · Learning Objectives 1....
Transcript of TANENBAUM CENTER FOR INTERRELIGIOUS UNDERSTANDING · 2016-07-18 · Learning Objectives 1....
Religion and Health Care:
Solutions for Patient, Provider and
Institutional Challenges
TANENBAUM CENTER FOR
INTERRELIGIOUS UNDERSTANDING
Eliza Blanchard, Assistant Director, Workplace & Health Care
© 2013 TANENBAUM / Center for Interreligious Understanding. All rights reserved.
Our Work
Conflict
Resolution
Workplace Health Care Education
The Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding
promotes mutual respect with practical programs that bridge
religious difference and combat prejudice.
© 2013 TANENBAUM / Center for Interreligious Understanding. All rights reserved.
Learning Objectives
1. RECOGNIZE challenges that patients, providers and health
care institutions face around the intersections of religion and
health care.
2. IDENTIFY strategies to address challenges and leverage
opportunities related to the intersection of religion and health
care.
3. BRAINSTORM initial steps as to how to implement key
strategies to their respective institutions.
© 2013 TANENBAUM / Center for Interreligious Understanding. All rights reserved.
© 2014 TANENBAUM / Center for Interreligious Understanding. All rights reserved.
Diversity of Patients and Providers
Demographic Diversity
• The U.S. foreign-born population nearly tripled to 12.9% of the
population since 1970.
• In 1970, 62% came from Europe. Today, 12% come from
Europe.
Religious Diversity, Fluidity, and Flexibility
• There is great diversity within traditions (i.e., there are
approximately 41,000 Christian denominations in the world).
• Increase in unaffiliated adults: 20% of the American population
identifies as “unaffiliated” (atheist, agnostic, nothing in particular).
• About half of Americans have changed their faith – at least once.
1. U.S. Census Bureau , 2010
2. Center for Study of Global Christianity at Goden-Conwell Theological Seminar, 2011
3. Pew, 2012, “Nones on the Rise”
4. Pew, 2011, “Faith in Flux”
Religious Bias in the Workplace
© 2014 TANENBAUM / Center for Interreligious Understanding. All rights reserved.Tanenbaum Survey “What American Workers Really Think About Religion” (August 2013)
• Over one-third (36%) of American workers have personally
experienced or witnessed religious “non-accommodation.”
• White evangelical Protestant workers (48%) are equally as
likely as non-Christian workers (49%) to report religious non-
accommodation at work.
• Two-in-five (40%) atheists also report religious non-
accommodation at work.
• The most common experiences of religious non-
accommodation are:
• being required to work on the Sabbath or a religious
holiday (24%).
• attending company-sponsored events that do not offer
kosher, halal, or vegetarian options (13%).
Religion in the Health Care Workplace
© 2014 TANENBAUM / Center for Interreligious Understanding. All rights reserved.Tanenbaum Survey “What American Workers Really Think About Religion” (August 2013)
• Nearly half (48%) of American health care workers have
personally experienced or witnessed religious “non-
accommodation.”
• Workers in the health care industry are more likely than
workers overall to discuss religion in the workplace and
have a coworker who shares their religious beliefs with
them.
• Health care workplaces have policies around religious
identities:
• 30% of health care workers have holiday swapping
policies (compared to 21% of other workers)
• 68% of health care workers have policies around dress
or facial hair (compared to 55% of other workers)
Case to Consider: A hospital in Maine
A hospital in Maine is experiencing a high “no show” rate of Muslim
women from African countries, particularly Somalia. As many as three
out of 10 women from this population are skipping their appointments.
Instructions: In groups of 4, brainstorm at least 3 concrete strategies
you would recommend that this institution use to better understand
why this is happening.
© 2012 TANENBAUM / Center for Interreligious Understanding. All rights reserved.
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2004-08-13/news/0408130213_1_muslim-women-gown-patient
Associated Press. (2004). Revealing hospital gowns redesigned. MSNBC:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5733742/ns/health-health_care/t/revealing-hospital-gowns-
redesigned/
The Resolution
© 2012 TANENBAUM / Center for Interreligious Understanding. All rights reserved.
• The hospital discovered that Muslim
women were cancelling appointments
and delaying care because they were
ashamed to wear the revealing
hospital gowns.
• The standard gown was redesigned to
provide extra coverage for patients
who wanted it.
• The hospital experienced a lasting
increase in Muslim patients accessing
preventive care and a decrease in
cancelled appointments.
Associated Press. (2004). Revealing hospital gowns redesigned. MSNBC: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5733742/ns/health-health_care/t/revealing-hospital-gowns-redesigned/
Summary of Recommendations
• Be proactive, not reactive.
• Track demographic changes within patient population.
• Engage with faith community representatives.
• Work back from YES!
Assessment
• Establish leadership commitment.
• Identify & engage “champions.”
• Commit to ongoing training of all staff to obtain and maintain buy-in.
Engagement
• Develop a system for taking a spiritual & cultural history.
• Formalize a system for documenting information.
• Communicate action plan across departments and roles.Implementation
• Track impact of implementation.
• Measure impact to demonstrate efficacy of interventions.Evaluation
© 2012 TANENBAUM / Center for Interreligious Understanding. All rights reserved.
Trigger Topics
© 2012 TANENBAUM / Center for Interreligious Understanding. All rights reserved.
Dietary Requirements
Dress & Modesty
Hygiene
Informed Consent
Observance of Holy Days and Rituals
Acceptance of Drugs and Procedures
Blood and Blood Products
Conscience Rules
Prayer with Patients
Proselytizing
Complementary and Alternative Medicine
Organ Transplants and Donations
Reproductive Health
Pregnancy & Birth
End-of-Life
10 Bias Danger Signs
© 2013 TANENBAUM / Center for Interreligious Understanding. All rights reserved.
A Case to Consider
A Sikh physician has recently started wearing a full beard due to his
religious beliefs regarding uncut hair. Sikhs wear five articles of faith,
called the Five Ks. One of these is kesh, or uncut hair on any part of
their body, which is mandatory for both men and women.
The physician’s beard is in conflict with the hospital’s policy on safety
and hygiene, which states that male employees must be clean-
shaven. How would you respond?
© 2013 TANENBAUM / Center for Interreligious Understanding. All rights reserved.
The Accommodation Mindset: Eight Steps
1. Get the Facts
2. Recognize All Employees’ Needs
3. Ask Respectful Questions
4. Identify Any Limitations
5. Be Creative
6. Communicate
7. Educate
8. Institutionalize
Session Debrief
1. What concrete steps can you take at your own institution to
establish/enhance a religiously inclusive environment and mindset?
2. What challenges will you need to address?
3. What opportunities, unique to your institution, can you capitalize
on?
Questions?
© 2013 TANENBAUM / Center for Interreligious Understanding. All rights reserved.