For a patient, finding a healthcare provider who prioritizes your well-being goes beyond your physicality. A doctor who takes into account your life, your history and all of the things that make up you is just as important.
Cultural competence is essential to being treated like more than just another person — it’s about getting the best care that’s right for you, specifically. Racial, age, religious, and lifestyle differences mean that patients need more-than-cookie-cutter health care to ensure appropriate, effective medical treatment.
Communication
The first step in culturally competent healthcare is communication. In the U.S., patients come from a variety of backgrounds and languages. A language barrier can be a significant inhibitor in seeking medical treatment. It is important for healthcare providers to employ bi- or multi-lingual employees, or have tools to aid communication when a language barrier is present (such as a translator). In all situations with a language barrier, patience is a powerful tool.
Communication helps doctors and other healthcare providers get a better picture of the difficulty a patient is experiencing. More information helps doctors assess the source of a symptom and identify pressing medical concerns.
Understanding All Patients’ Needs
Medical needs vary depending on a handful of factors; men and women have different health concerns, while some chronic illnesses affect races differently. For example, a heart attack presents differently in men and women, and African Americans are more at risk for diabetes and heart attacks. Doctors need to take all of the data into account when treating patients, especially factors that might not be true for every patient. Female pain is often dismissed as melodrama or stress. People diagnosed with mental illnesses are more likely to have their health ignored. Low income families might not be able to afford all available treatments, or see practitioners during standard office hours. Lack of information and biased care can lead to patient health deterioration, the acquisition of new illnesses such as STDs, and medical conditions going undiagnosed or untreated.
Values
Understanding the values of a patient, whether they be lifestyle values or religious values, can affect the healthcare of patients. A patient’s values are important, and it is necessary to understand them and work with them. A value can be as simple as aversion to overly medical talk or as vital as their religious beliefs. Community values can also play a role in how a patient interacts with healthcare providers and how heard patients feel. Caregivers that are representative of the surrounding community can help bridge a gap between patient values and health needs when necessary.
Tips
For healthcare providers, a few helpful tips can increase their cultural competency:
-Explain thoroughly, preferably without an overuse of medical jargon. Speak to the patient as they wish to be addressed.
-Pay attention to verbal and non-verbal cues when needed to know when to alter your approach.
-Don’t make judgements. A patient’s lifestyle or culture should be respected by caregivers. Be open to differences.
-Don’t make assumptions. Ask questions when needed. Learn from patients. Recognize the validity of their beliefs and lifestyles.
-Accommodate patients to make sure their needs are met.
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