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What is Cultural Competence?
Cultural competence is a set of congruent attitudes, skills, behaviors and policies that enable organizations and staff to work effectively in cross-cultural situations. It reflects the ability to acquire and use knowledge of the health-related beliefs, attitudes, practices and communication patterns of clients and their families to:
- Improve services
- Strengthen programs
- Increase community participation
- Close the gaps in health status among diverse population groups
The concept of culture refers to nonphysical traits that are shared by a group of people and passed from one generation to the next. Examples include: the culture of poverty, chronic disease, regional location, sex/gender, age, occupation, etc. It is imperative not to limit your focus solely to race, ethnicity and/or language when considering cultural differences.
Why Cultural Competence?
The rapidly changing demographics of the United States have dramatically affected healthcare service provision. According to the 2000 US Census, about 18% of the population over age 5 speaks a language other than English in the home. Here in South Carolina, the trend is very similar. A potpourri of ethnicities has migrated to the Palmetto State over the past decade. Because of the continual exponential growth in immigration, high poverty rates and low literacy levels in South Carolina, it is imperative that health care organizations design and implement culturally appropriate services that meet the basic healthcare needs of an increasingly diverse population.
By adopting culturally appropriate services and behaviors, healthcare organizations will be better positioned:
- To respond to current and projected demographic changes
- To eliminate health disparities among ethnic and minority populations
- To improve the quality of services and outcomes
- To reduce the likelihood of liability and malpractice claims
- To meet federal and state mandates
- To understand the impact of culture in health and illness
- To enhance the workplace environment
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