Cultural Implications

Cultural Implications

Culture Awareness

BeliefsKnowledge Base Relationships Values
African AmericanReasoning based on union of opposites Knowledge may be acquired through senses/affective means Develop on a continuum and interconnection of all relationships over timeDeveloping and maintaining interpersonal relationships
ArabicReasoning based on belief that good health is a result of following religion Knowledge through a relationship with a higher power Develop based on belief that collective good is better than individualismOn the community and worship
Asian Reasoning reflects separation of mind body from the physical environment Knowledge develops when striving for transcendence of mind and bodyDeveloped based on belief that everyone and everything has physical and spiritual connectionsOn balance within and between individual and group relations
European/AmericanDichotomous reasoning Knowledge is based on proof/evidence

Developed based on perceived needOn the individual, object, or the attainment of the object.
HispanicReasoning based on union of opposites Knowledge may be acquired through senses/affective means Develop on a continuum and interconnection of all relationships over timeDeveloping and maintaining interpersonal relationships
Native American Reasoning based on belief that people are innately good Knowledge is through a relationship with a Greater BeingDevelop based on idea that Greater Being is within all of us, everyone should be valued On a relationship to Greater Being

–According to ANCC

*note how this guide may be considered inaccurate for having the exact same qualities between Hispanic and African Americans plus not including emerging and other important minority groups. This is why having multiple cultural resources and training is very helpful…

Why focusing on Cultural Competency is Important?

In healthcare, cultural competency:

  • Increases quality of healthcare services
  • Improves patient outcomes
  • Improves patient safety
  • Improves patient satisfaction
  • Builds trust with patients and communities
  • Reduces health disparities and promotes health equity

What does it mean to be Culturally Competent in a Healthcare Setting?

Please refer to the following resource to review case studies of clinicians addressing cultural competency, suggested activities for increasing cultural competency in medicine, an assessment to uncover patients’ cultural beliefs and/or barriers, and tips for improving the caregiver/patient relationship across cultures:

Cultural Competency Resources for Healthcare Professionals

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Reaching At-Risk Populations in an Emergency

The Center for Health Design
Designing Safety-Net Clinics for Cultural Sensitivity

The Center for Social Inclusion (CSI)
Talking About Race Toolkit

CHAMPS
Health Equity Resources
Social Determinants of Health Resources

The Cross-Cultural Health Care Program
Cultural Competency Training of Trainers Institute

The Fenway Institute
National Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender (LGBT) Health Education Center

The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation
Compendium of Cultural Competence Initiatives in Health Care

Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) provides extensive resources for healthcare professionals on cultural competency, health literacy, and limited English proficiency. The following are two links for free online training and a library of cultural competency resources.

Management Sciences for Health
The Provider’s Guide to Quality and Culture

National Institute for Children’s Health Quality (NICHQ)
Implicit Bias Resource Guide

National Institutes of Health
Clear Communication: A NIH Health Literacy Initiative

Office of Minority Health, HHS
Improving Cultural Competency for Behavioral Health Professionals
Think Cultural Health (TCH)
Why Use Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS) Throughout a Disaster?

SAMHSA-HRSA Center for Integrated Health Solutions
Serving Veterans: A Resource Guide

TRAIN Learning Network
Effective Communication for Healthcare Teams

Linguistic Services Resources

The following resources address implementing language and translation services and improving patient education and communication:

Association of Clinicians for the Underserved
Language Access: Understanding the Barriers and Challenges in Primary Care Settings

CHAMPS
Quick reference pocket cards presenting medical, dental, and pharmacy terminology in English and Spanish to aid in communicating with Spanish speaking patients
Clinical Reference Pocket Cards

CHAMPS
Compilation of resources for health center staff and patients on health literacy and plain language.
Health Literacy Resources

CHAMPS
Online patient education tools addressing a variety of cultures, ethnicities, and languages
Multi-Lingual Materials

Cross-Cultural Health Care Program
Cultural competency trainings, interpreter trainings, and research projects
About Cultural Competency

EthnoMed
Cultural profiles, health profiles, and patient education materials pertinent to immigrants to the U.S.
Culture-Specific Pages

Healthcare Intelligence Network
This report details educational and communication strategies for leveraging cultural differences to improve the quality and accessibility of healthcare. It is available for $97.00
Cultural Competency in Healthcare: Translating Differences Into Improved Quality and Access

Healthy Roads Media
Provides patient handouts and patient education in various media formats by disease/condition in many various languages
Healthy Roads Full Media Listing by Topic, All Formats, All Languages

HHS, Office of Minority Health
A guide to help healthcare organizations implement effective language access services (LAS) to meet the needs of patients with limited English proficiency (LEP)
A Patient-Centered Guide to Implementing Language Access Services in Healthcare Organizations

HHS, Office of Minority Health
Culturally competency programs with continuing education credits and other resources for physicians, pharmacists, and nurses to better meet the cultural and linguistic needs of an increasingly diverse patient population
Think Cultural Health

International Medical Interpreters Association (IMIA)
The database includes glossaries, dictionaries, terminology databases, anatomy atlases, nomenclatures, thesauri, lexicons, vocabularies, manuals, encyclopedias, and other word-based documents in the fields of medicine and healthcare in multiple languages
IMIA Terminology Resource Database

Kwikpoint®
Laminated pamphlets allow health professionals to communicate with anyone by pointing to pictures. Available for $16.49
Medical Visual Language Translator

Limited English Proficiency, A Federal Interagency Website
A reservoir of resources for implementing Executive Order 13166, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and its subsequent regulations regarding language access
Limited English Proficiency

National Center for Farmworker Health, Inc.  (NCFH)
A special issue of the NCFH Quarterly Newsletter  focusing on the Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Service (CLAS) Standards, cross-cultural communication, and overcoming barriers to cross-cultural health care
Migrant Health Newsline, Issue 1, 2012 

Refugee Health Information Network (RHIN)
Multilingual resources for providers and patients including patient education materials, emergency preparedness information, mental health resources, screening tools and more in many languages (including Amharic, Arabic, Burmese, French, Karen, Oromo, Nepali, Somali, Spanish, Swahili, Tigrinya, and more)
http://rhin.org/

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)
Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Medicine
Health Literacy Measurement Tools

CHAMPS Population-Specific Resources

–CHAMPS

Special Emphasis Program Organizations

Organizations offer a wealth of information on diversity-related conferences, research, observances, memberships, and educational opportunities. For more info, select the category below. Also read, Unlocking the Cultural Door to Mental Health Care by Psychiatric Times

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