Douglas
MacDonald,
PhD
Professor
University of Detroit
Dr. MacDonald is a Professor of Psychology at the University of Detroit Mercy where he has held a faculty position since 2000. He is an active scholar who has published on topics in a variety of disciplines throughout his career. MacDonald's main area of interest and expertise concerns the measurement of spirituality and the exploration of its relationship to biopsychosocial functioning with emphasis given to health and well-being. He is associate editor (research) for the Journal of Transpersonal Psychology, senior research editor for the Journal of Humanistic Psychology and consulting editor for the Psychology of Religion and Spirituality, and the Journal of Management, Spirituality, and Religion.
Presenting at the Nexus Summit:
Healthcare provider stigma is a systemic barrier to equitable care and widens healthcare disparities. 20-50% of persons living with HIV do not access the oral health services they need. Research shows healthcare professionals who hold stigmatizing attitudes towards PLWHA commonly manifest it in clinical encounters. Interprofessional collaborative, community, and patient engagement educational interventions help shape the attitudes and behaviors of the future oral healthcare professional workforce. Reduction in healthcare provider stigma begins in dental education through increasing awareness…