Deconstructing the Monolith: An Educational Module for Understanding Disparities Within Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Populations

Introduction: Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) people represent one of the largest and most rapidly growing groups in the United States and are often aggregated as a homogeneous, rather than diverse, population in medical research and education. Currently, few educational interventions focus on the disaggregation of AANHPI patient populations and the improvement of knowledge about health disparities that affect AANHPI patients.

Methods: We developed, implemented, and facilitated a workshop for medical students to address AANHPI health disparities, adaptable for in-person and online formats. The 1-hour session involved a preworkshop evaluation; a PowerPoint presentation outlining the history of the Asian monolith bias, health disparities within AANHPI subgroups, and strategies for health care professionals and trainees to engage effectively with these communities; and a postworkshop evaluation. Pre- and postworkshop evaluations assessed participants' confidence and understanding of AANHPI health disparities. Additionally, the postworkshop evaluation gathered feedback on the presentation.

Results: Pre- and postworkshop evaluations revealed that this workshop, attended by 42 diverse participants over two sessions, significantly improved participants' understanding of the Asian monolith bias and AANHPI health care disparities (p < .05). Whether attending virtually or in person, participants reported notable improvements in their self-evaluated confidence in treating AANHPI patients.

Conclusion: The AANHPI patient population comprises a myriad of different cultures, historical contexts, and health needs. We present an educational module that is associated with significant improvement of knowledge about health disparities specific to this population, informing further efforts in cultural competence within medical education.