Cultural Competence and the Postoperative Experience: Pain Control and Rehabilitation

Healthcare inequities exist across healthcare and have been shown to influence patient care outcomes. In the field of orthopaedic surgery, disparities manifest in realms postoperative pain management rehabilitation. Previous literature has demonstrated that socioeconomic status, sex, gender, race, ethnicity can precipitate a negative experience, manifesting as poorly managed undertreatment minorities patients lower status. A similar body revealed barriers rehabilitation, particularly with regard accessibility, language, rapport, culture. These impact patients, ranging from diminished surgical satisfaction morbidity. As United States becomes increasingly diverse, cultural competence plays major role combating these disparities. This article presents methods promote competence, including greater diversity medical field, emphasis on competency education training programs at all levels healthcare, increased resources allocated researching inequities, more effective mechanisms education.