The Relationship Between Healthcare Organizational Magnet® Status and Scores on the Human Rights Campaign <italic>Healthcare Equality Index</italic>: A Comparative Temporal Analysis.

AbstractThe Human Rights Campaign's annual <italic>Healthcare Equality Index</italic> (<italic>HEI</italic>) evaluates participating organizations' (<italic>n</italic> = 906) treatment of LGBTQ+ employees and clients. Higher <italic>HEI</italic> scores reflect greater equitable treatment of LGBTQ+ persons, a mark of merit for the organization. The American Nurses Credentialing Center recognizes nursing excellence in healthcare organization by designating them Magnet® institutions (<italic>n =</italic> 612). Blackwell and colleagues showed a significant relationship between organizational <italic>HEI</italic> scores and recognition as Magnet®. The purpose of this study was to determine if this relationship changed between 2018 and 2022. Chi-square tests analyzed statistical relationships between aggregate <italic>HEI</italic> score as well as each sub-criterion within the <italic>HEI</italic>, and the organization's Magnet® status. <italic>HEI</italic> score and Magnet® status-maintained association (<italic>p</italic> = <.001). Three of four individual scoring criteria were also related to Magnet® recognition, an improvement from just one of the criteria in 2018. Organizations with greater commitment to LGBTQ+ equality continue to be associated with Magnet® recognition, suggesting a continued commitment to healthcare excellence. Future research should focus analysis efforts across the same organizations between <italic>HEI</italic> and Magnet® data collection points and assess LGBTQ+-inclusive care and employment practices and organizational nursing excellence with tools external to the <italic>HEI</italic> and Magnet® recognition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]