DEI Done Right: How DPC Lets Diversity Drive Better Care 

This post way by Michelle Cooke, MD:

I take care of busy Black women. There, I said it. Truthfully, I’ve always known this, but in our increasingly politically correct environment, it has not always felt safe for me to state that Black women are predominantly who I care for. If you look at my website, you can see exactly who it is targeted to. Does this mean I won’t take care of other deserving patients who would like to join my practice? Absolutely not. I welcome all who believe in my dream! However, for so long, as a physician, I was made to believe that I had to take care of everyone.

This is where DPC life and my entrepreneurial journey have taught me the opposite of what my physician training emphasized. Yes, we must be culturally competent. Yes, we must be open to learning and accepting of different people and their cultural identities. Yes, we must develop comfort in taking care of all people. However, it is okay to accept that we are not the best doctors for every patient.

Marketing 101 and Defining Your Audience

Marketing 101 demands that you define your audience. The more specific your customer avatar, the better. Being too broad with your customer base will actually make you less successful. If you’re selling to everyone, then you’re selling to no one. Knowing who your audience is and what their unmet needs are allows you to deliver exactly what they need. You can do a great job at solving the problems of one group, but this solution will not be a one-size-fits-all  solution for everyone. For so long in medicine, we have felt that every doctor must take care of every patient. While I do agree that you should never turn away a patient in need of help, we are missing out on a crucial opportunity to use our own cultural identity to be better physicians.

Leveraging Cultural Identity in DPC

We have overlooked leveraging the cultural identities of individual physicians as a source of empowerment. I love seeing physicians in the Direct Primary Care workspace who lead with their own stories as a means to deliver better patient care. This looks like a neurodivergent physician setting up her practice specifically to be accommodating to a neurodiverse patient population. Or the former college athlete Doc whose practice helps student athletes optimize their training and decrease injury while balancing academics. The more culturally aligned the patient and the physician, the better the care. Intuitively, this makes sense. However, in our new world of aggressive Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives, I think we have pushed the narrative too far – leading to culture being weaponized rather than embraced.

As a Black woman, I understand and appreciate the importance of the DEI movement. It’s crucial for addressing systemic disparities and promoting inclusivity. Yet, we must also recognize the unique value of culturally concordant care. By allowing physicians to focus on patient populations with whom they share cultural ties, we can enhance the quality of care through mutual understanding and respect.

The Benefits of Culturally Concordant Care

1. Improved Communication: Shared language and cultural references can break down barriers, making it easier for patients to express their concerns and for physicians to understand them fully.
2. Enhanced Trust: Patients are more likely to trust and follow the advice of physicians who they feel understand their cultural background and values.
3. Better Adherence to Treatment: When patients feel heard and understood, they are more likely to adhere to prescribed treatments and follow through with medical recommendations.
4. Holistic Health Approaches: Physicians who understand their patients’ cultural contexts can offer more holistic and culturally appropriate health solutions.

A Call for a Balanced Approach

It is crucial for healthcare systems to recognize the value of both DEI initiatives and culturally concordant care. Rather than viewing them as mutually exclusive, we should aim to integrate these approaches to maximize their benefits. Encouraging diversity among healthcare providers and allowing them to serve patient populations with whom they share cultural ties can create a more inclusive and effective healthcare environment.

Conclusion

Direct Primary Care offers a unique opportunity to enhance culturally concordant care, providing a model where physicians and patients can connect on a deeper level. By recognizing and embracing the importance of cultural alignment in healthcare, we can foster an environment where all patients receive the personalized and empathetic care they deserve. In Direct Primary Care, we embrace and celebrate the unique cultures of our doctors, allowing us to shine rather than be suppressed. I am proud to be part of a movement that views diversity not as a challenge to be managed, but as a powerful strength to be celebrated.

Dr. Michelle Cooke is not only a rock-star Family Physician, she is a wife, boy-mom, yogi and a proud Direct Primary Care Physician. She is the owner & founder of Southwest Atlanta’s first DPC Practice – Sol Direct Primary Care. The DPC model frees Dr. Cooke to spend more time with her patients to practice lifestyle medicine. She helps her patients achieve their best health with less medication! When she is not in the office, you’ll find Dr. Cooke on the yoga mat, frolicking in nature, or jamming to live music around Atlanta. https://sol-dpc.org