Cultural Competency:

Summary:

There is increasing diversity in the U.S. population, and understanding a patient’s culture, including his or her language, dietary habits, lifestyle, beliefs, attitudes and values about health, leads to more effective healthcare delivery, including nutrition services. The culture of healthcare in the U.S. reflects Anglo-American values: complex, time oriented, focused on disease management and treatment, and dedicated to preserving life at any cost. Patient-centered care is practiced in most healthcare settings, but people from other cultures often defer healthcare decisions to the medical provider. Folk, spiritual or psychic healing may be preferred and sought before conventional medical assistance, and it is not always compatible with U.S. healthcare. In addition, food distinguishes one culture from another.

Objectives:

• Define “cultural competency” and explain why it is important.
• Define “diversity” and “multiculturism” and explain the difference.
• List, define and discuss the 6 steps of the Cultural Competency Continuum.
• Define the concepts “stereotyping” and “intra-ethnic variation.”
• Explain these components of the dominant US cultural paradigm: right to privacy, right to know, self- determination, future orientation, monochronism. Show how they differ from our cultures.
• Explain why cultural values, more than income or race, can determine the quality of healthcare an individual receives.
• Explain how regulations and standardization can reduce effectiveness of health care and nutrition protocols when dealing with minority cultures.