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Culturally Competent Healthcare (contd.)
Some hospital leaders understand the importance of being culturally competent and have responded by hiring more multi-lingual staff and interpreters, and providing diversity training that helps staff understand their customers' different cultures. These are important steps, and some are even required by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS) standards. Nonetheless, they are only the beginning of preparing for the reality of a multicultural and multi-lingual patient population and workforce.
In healthcare the benefits can be much more significant, since in the industry the business case accounts for more than return on investment. It translates to what we can call the "top line" of optimal patient care and the "bottom line" of business growth and sustainability. Healthcare organizations can potentially realize the following in addressing diversity and cultural competency in their organizations.
TOP LINE
Better Patient Care : In healthcare, the bottom line is providing excellent healthcare to patients. Although cost has to always be considered, people are No.1. Numerous reports have indicated that ethnic minority providers generally care for more minority patients than their non-minority counterparts. Also, ethnic minority patients are more likely to be compliant and comfortable with a provider who can speak their language and/or understands their culture.
Reducing Health Disparities: Racial and ethnic minorities have higher rates of poor health outcomes than whites in most diseases, even when controlling for various factors such as income, employment status, and insurance coverage. Cultural bias is one contributor to this, according to the Institute of Medicine 's groundbreaking 2002 report, Unequal Treatment: Confronting Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Healthcare . A diverse and culturally competent workforce could help reduce health disparities.
(Culturally Competent Healthcare - Contd.)
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"Most western medical practitioners have been taught, and trained to treat the illness, not the person. In fact, taking too much time with the person can even be discouraged. What we have learned through our work is that the best access to treating the illness, is through a deeper understanding of the person, their family, their culture, and the discourse they come from."
- Howard Ross
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CEU-Credited Web Seminars Coming Fall 2005
2.0 contact hour CEU/CME eligible web seminars, on a variety of topics. Our next edition of The Curve will have the dates; please let us know if you would like to be notified about the dates before then.
IN THE NEWS
Cook Ross's product CultureVision was cited in the news this month! DiversityInc featured our new web-based tool in their most recent issue.
"When a couple of Arabic descent recently visted St. Francis Hospital in Greenvale, SC, the attending physcian noticed the woman kept her head down and remained silent while her husband answered all the medical questions for her. The staff initially was concerned that this was a sign of a troubled relationship; however, after consulting CultureVision, a new online service that provides insight into various racial and ethnic groups, the staff learned this was normal behaviour in that culture . . ." click here for the full story! For more information,
call 301-565-4035 or email howross@cookross.com.
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