INFLUENCING PATIENT BEHAVIOR

ENACT STRATEGY: Cultural Sensitivity
Provide training to providers to conduct screening and counseling in both a culturally appropriate and sensitive manner

Culture shapes beliefs, behavior, and expectations surrounding health and health care. By approaching patients in a culturally competent and sensitive manner, physicians can deliver quality health care to all populations. Adopting a culturally appropriate and sensitive approach can increase patient satisfaction, patient adherence to treatment plans, and the probability of improved health outcomes.

Characteristics

• Understanding of various cultures’ different attitudes, values, verbal cues, and body language
• Respect for patients’ beliefs and practices
• Interaction with patients in a culturally appropriate and sensitive manner

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Programs

A Model for the Nation’s Health Care Industry: Kaiser Permanente’s Institute for Culturally Competent Care (PDF)

Describes Kaiser Permanente new standard for culturally appropriate and sensitive healthcare.

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Tools

Culturally Competent Health Care
Provides a description of what culturally competent healthcare requires, what it means, and why it works.

Kaiser Permanente Pocket Cards (PDF)

Kaiser Permanente created pocket cards to help physicians and other health care professionals give more culturally appropriate and sensitive care. Although the cards aren’t visible online, a description can be found at their website.

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Organizations and Coalitions

The National Standards for Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services in Health Care (CLAS)
Issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Minority Health. The CLAS standards serve as an outline for building culturally competent healthcare organizations.

California Pan-Ethnic Health Network (CPEHN)

CPEHN works towards fostering “cross-cultural communication and collaboration to produce a stronger, more proactive health policy agenda.” Their website includes a section on advocacy for culturally competent care.

The California Endowment’s Cultural Competence Program
The California Endowment funds many projects related to culturally competent health care. Check out their resources, reports, and training materials on cultural competency, language access, interpreters, special populations, and workforce diversity.

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