Internal Medicine Program Directors’ Perceptions About Accommodating Residents with Disabilities: A Qualitative Study

While 26% of US adults are disabled, only 3.1 to 9.3% of practicing physicians report having a disability. Ableism within medical training and practice diminishes physician diversity and wellbeing and contributes to healthcare disparities.

Explore physician barriers to disability equity and inclusion by examining internal medicine (IM) program directors’ (PD) perspectives about recruiting and accommodating residents with disabilities (RWD).

Qualitative study involving semi-structured virtual interviews (conducted December 2022–September 2023; analyzed through December 2023).

PDs were recruited via email. Purposive sampling captured program diversity in size, location, and affiliations. Convenience sampling ensured PD diversity by gender, race/ethnicity, and age.

Coders analyzed thematic and discursive content of interview transcripts to characterize PD perspectives about RWDs and accommodations.

Of the 15 programs represented, 4 had ≤ 49 and 8 had ≥ 100 total residents. Three were community-based; the rest had academic affiliations. On average, PDs had 17 (SD 8.2) years in practice. Most (11/15) identified as White race; 8/15 as female; and none as disabled. PDs characterized disability as a source of grit and empathy but also as an intrinsic deficit. They worried RWDs could have unpredictable absences and clinical incompetencies. Perceived accommodation challenges included inexperience, workload distribution, information asymmetry about accommodation needs or options, barriers to disclosure (e.g., discrimination concerns), and insufficient accommodation advertising. Perceived facilitators included advanced planning; clear, publicized processes; and access to expertise (e.g., occupational health, ombudsmen).

PDs held contradictory views of RWDs. PD insights revealed opportunities to alleviate PD-RWD information asymmetry in recruitment/accommodation processes, which could help align needs and improve representation and inclusion.

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