Addressing Issues

Demographic changes affect participation in health insurance plans and increase the need for linguistically and culturally competent health care services. The Healthy People 2010 Initiative proposes to "Eliminate health disparities experienced by racial and ethnic minorities by year 2010, while continuing the progress in improving the overall health of the American people." 1

Culturally competent health care allows the health care system to:

• Respond to demographic changes
• Eliminate disparities in the health status of people of diverse backgrounds
• Improve the quality of services and outcomes
• Meet legislative, regulatory and accreditation mandates
• Gain a competitive edge in the marketplace
• Decrease the likelihood of liability/malpractice claims 2

In clinical practice, cultural and linguistic competence implies the ability by health care providers and planners to understand and respond effectively to the cultural and linguistic needs of patients in the health care setting. The physician-patient relationship is built through communication and the effective use of language. Unstated rules can affect the way individuals perceive, seek, and receive health care services. Respect is really the essence and the heart of cultural competence.

Cultural competence can have a real impact on clinical outcomes. Ignoring culture can lead to negative health consequences in many ways. For example, patients may choose not to seek needed services for fear of being misunderstood or disrespected, and patients may not adhere to medical advice because they do not understand or do not trust the provider. Providers may not order appropriate tests or medical interventions due to cross-cultural misunderstandings. Understanding the importance of cultural competency is integral to health care providers as they work to improve the health status of their patients.

This section is divided into three sub-sections. You can click on each section to go to that page or use the navigation box at the right:

Tips and Rationale

• Practical tips for clinicians
• Provides a brief rationale for cultural competence in health care.

HRSA Practices and Perspectives

• Successful HRSA practices for delivering culturally appropriate care.
• HRSA perspectives on cultural competencies for providers working with various ethnic groups: Hispanic/Latino, African American, Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders, and American Indian and Alaska Native.

Resources

• Lists of resources.

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