Educating for Equity: A Review of Training Approaches and Best Practices in Healthcare Equity Education

Authors

Mary L. Jackson, University of LynchburgFollow

Specialty

PA Education

Advisor

Thomas Colletti

Abstract

Healthcare inequities remain a critical and persistent challenge and preparing future clinicians to address them has become an educational imperative. This paper aims to evaluate current approaches to healthcare equity training within physician assistant education, emphasizing their potential to prepare graduates to provide equitable, inclusive, and culturally responsive care. The significance of this work lies in the urgent need for health professionals to go beyond clinical competence and actively address the social determinants and structural forces that perpetuate health disparities. To explore best practices, this project synthesized current literature on healthcare equity education, examining common instructional strategies, their strengths and limitations, and the barriers to implementation. Key approaches identified include lecture-based learning, case-based instruction, implicit bias training, cultural humility training, and experiential learning opportunities. While each method offers value, the evidence suggests that longitudinal, multimodal approaches integrated across the curriculum are more likely to produce meaningful and lasting changes in learners’ knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors. Implementation, however, is often hindered by competing curricular demands, limited faculty expertise and institutional resources, structural and contextual barriers, and the lack of standardized assessment tools. This paper concludes that healthcare equity training should be intentionally embedded throughout PA curricula, aligned with existing competencies, and supported by faculty development and institutional investment. Future research should focus on developing best practices for curricular inclusion and standardized assessment tools, as well as evaluating the impact of integrated, longitudinal models on both learner and patient outcomes.

Recommended Citation

Jackson ML. Educating for Equity: A Review of Training Approaches and Best Practices in Healthcare Equity Education. University of Lynchburg DMSc Doctoral Project Assignment Repository. 2025; 7(3).