• Anna Francis, Kim M O'Sullivan, Pinika Patel, Andrea K Viecelli, James A Hedley, Ramyasuda Swaminathan, Amy Crosthwaite, Imad Haloob, Alice Kennard, Matthew Rowlandson, Neil Boudville, Angela C Webster, Kate Wyburn, and Equity and Diversity and Inclusivity Committee of the Australian and New Zealand Society of Nephrology.
• Faculty of Medicine, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
• Intern Med J. 2022 Nov 1; 52 (11): 190019091900-1909.

BackgroundDespite diversity initiatives, inequities persist in medicine with negative implications for the workforce and patients. Little is known about workplace inequity in nephrology.AimTo describe perceptions and experiences of bias by health professionals in the Australian and New Zealand Society of Nephrology (ANZSN), focussing on gender and race.MethodsA web-based survey of ANZSN members recorded degree of perceived inequity on a Likert scale, ranging from 1 (none) to 5 (complete). Groups were compared using Mann-Whitney U-test and logistic regression. Comments were synthesised using qualitative methods to explore themes of inequity and pathways to an inclusive future.ResultsOf the 620 members of the ANZSN, there were 134 (22%) respondents, of whom 57% were women and 67% were White. The majority (88%) perceived inequities in the workforce. Perceived drivers of inequity were gender (84/113; 75%), carer responsibilities (74/113; 65%) and race (64/113; 56%). Half (74/131) had personally experienced inequity, based on gender in 70% (52/74) and race in 39% (29/75) with perceived discrimination coming from doctors, patients, academics and health administrators. White males were least likely (odds ratio 0.39; 95% confidence interval 0.18-0.90) to experience inequity. Dominant themes from qualitative analysis indicated that the major impacts of inequity were limited opportunities for advancement and lack of formal assistance for those experiencing inequities. Proposed solutions to reduce inequity included normalising the discourse on inequity at an organisational level, with policy changes to ensure diverse representation on committees and in executive leadership positions.ConclusionsInequity, particularly driven by gender and race, is common for nephrology health professionals in Australia and New Zealand and impacts career progression.© 2022 The Authors. Internal Medicine Journal published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Royal Australasian College of Physicians.

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