Cultural competence has gained attention as a potential strategy to improve quality and eliminate racial/ethnic disparities in health care. In 2002 we conducted interviews with experts in cultural competence from managed care, government, and academe to identify their perspectives on the field. We present our findings here and then identify recent trends in cultural competence focusing on healt...

OBJECTIVE To identify the perceived strengths that international medical graduate (IMG) family medicine residents possess and the challenges they are perceived to encounter in integrating into Canadian family practice. METHODS This was a qualitative, exploratory study employing focus groups and interviews with 27 participants - 10 family physicians, 13 health care professionals, and 4 family ...

African American women and Latinas often experience suboptimal breast cancer care. This article describes providers' self-rated skills in communication practices when working with African American women and Latinas diagnosed with breast cancer. Current literature reveals how providers are lacking in the ability to communicate with these patients and often fail to incorporate cultural beliefs in...

Cultural competence and ethical decision making are two separate, yet intrinsically related concepts which are central to services rendered by all health care professionals. Cultural competence is based on ethical principles and informs ethical decision making. In spite of this important connection, the interrelationship of these two concepts does not receive the attention it deserves in the li...

In China over the past decade, palliative medicine has emerged as a new program. Development of this program requires attention to current opportunities, obstacles and cultural concerns. A selected review showed that there is an urgent need for palliative care in mainland China. Several challenges to implementing palliative care service in China include: (1) cultural perception and misunderstan...

In today’s multicultural society, assuring quality health care for all persons requires that physicians understand how each patient’s sociocultural background affects his or her health beliefs and behaviors. Cross-cultural curricula have been developed to address these issues but are not widely used in medical education. Many curricula take a categorical and potentially stereotypic approach to ...

This policy statement defines culturally effective health care and describes its importance for pediatrics and the health of children. The statement also defines cultural effectiveness, cultural sensitivity, and cultural competence and describes the importance of these concepts for training in medical school, residency, and continuing medical education. The statement is based on the conviction ...

BACKGROUND Heart failure (HF) places a disproportionate burden on ethnic minority populations, including blacks, who have the highest risk of developing HF and experience poorer outcomes. Self-care, which encompasses adherence to diet, medication, and symptom management, can significantly improve outcomes. However, HF self-care is notoriously poor in ethnic minority black populations. OBJECTI...

The purpose of this training program was to prepare nursing staff in family-centered geriatric care that emphasizes providing culturally competent care to hospitalized elders at two major tertiary hospitals in New York. This research report corresponds to the first phase of a 3-year project. In this research project, a descriptive exploratory design was used to identify the levels of cultural a...