Cultural competency training

Cultural Competency Training is instruction to achieve cultural competence and the ability to appreciate and interpret accurately other cultures.

Cultural competence

Cultural competence refers to an ability to interact effectively with people of different cultures. Cultural competence comprises four components: (a) awareness of one's own cultural worldview, (b) attitude towards cultural differences, (c) knowledge of different cultural practices and worldviews, and (d) cross-cultural skills. Developing cultural competence results in an ability to understand, communicate with, and effectively interact with people across cultures and leads to a 15% decrease in miscommunication.^[1]

Cultural Competence Training for Medical Students and Physicians

In the medical setting, effective communication between clinicians, patients, families and other health care providers is fundamental.

Health disparities refer to gaps in the quality of health and health care across racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups. Studies have demonstrated the multiple factors that contribute to health disparities.

Cultural Competence Online for Medical Practice (CCOMP) is an attempt in the US to address one of the factors - the patient-doctor interaction. The CCOMP project is funded by a grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) through the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI). CCOMP offers a clinician's guide to reduce cardiovascular disparities, intended to create effective cross-cultural approaches to care for African-American patients with cardiovascular disease, especially hypertension. Videos with real patient scenarios and case-based modules are aimed at developing this increased awareness.

Acknowledgements

• Culturally Sensitive Intervention – Birmingham: a research project of Cooper Green Mercy Hospital and the University of Alabama at Birmingham, funded by Finding Answers: Disparities Research for Change.
• TRUST project, Alabama Collaboration for Cardiovascular Equality (ACCE), funded by NHLBI.
• Health BELIEF Attitudes Survey.

References

External links - Cultural Competence

• National Consortium for Multicultural Education funded by the NHLBI
• A Physician's Practical Guide to Culturally Competent Care by the Office of Minority Health
• National Center for Cultural Competence at Georgetown University
• Cross Cultural Health Care Program
• Program For Multicultural Health by the University of Michigan
• Building Cross-Cultural Partnerships in Public Health by the Alabama Department of Public Health (video)
• A Physician's Practical Guide to Culturally Competent Care by the Office of Minority Health