Today’s Topic: Healthcare & Cultural Competency
Cultural competence is the ability to comprehend, interact, and communicate with individuals regardless of their cultural background. Cultural competency includes an awareness of one’s own cultural views, working at and developing positive attitudes towards cultural differences, and having a knowledge of varying cultural worldviews and practices. It can be vital in sensitive areas, like healthcare and in regards to mental health concerns.
Option #1: Read & reflect:
“Black people’s nerve endings are less sensitive than white people’s.”
“Black people’s skin is thicker than white people’s.”
“Black people’s blood coagulates more quickly than white people’s.”
Half of medical trainees surveyed held one or more such false beliefs. Holding these false beliefs can be life-threatening to the patient. Proper education and and understanding of cultural competency can improve the quality of health care dramatically. (source: 2016 study Proceedings of the National Academies of Science)
Reflect on your history of healthcare providers; have any been of color?
What are some advantages of having a medical care provider of the same background or having understanding of various cultural, religious, or racial concerns? Are there disadvantages?
Option #2: Read & Reflect Barriers to Access Mental Health Care
· Lack of insurance or inadequate insurance
· Lack of knowledge/awareness about mental health problems & services available
· Cultural stigma associated with mental illness
· Lack of culturally competent mental health professionals
· Shortage of bilingual or linguistically trained mental health professionals
· Difficulties recognizing signs of mental illness
· Problems identifying psychiatric symptoms when chief complaint is somatic symptom (source: American Psychiatric Association)
What questions or concerns arise after reading the above information?
Families: What examples have you experienced, in life or media, of medical professionals of another race or culture? For younger children, here’s a list of shows to get you started if you need suggestions! Doc McStuffins (Disney), Molly of Denali (PBS/PBS Kids), Casagrandes (Nickelodeon)
How do you think having a teacher, doctor, nurse, lawyer, other professional who looks racially similar to you can be a positive thing? Any negatives?
Additional Resources:
Minority Health and Health Care in the US by Penn LDI A series of graphs relating to disparities in health & health care in the US.
Casting My Lot with the Out Crowd by Lucas Sharma, SJ In John’s Gospel, the people in charge have had enough: it’s time to stone Jesus because he’s chosen to cast his lot with the “out crowd,” the marginalized members in the community. He stands with the poor, not with the power and authority of the dominant oppressor
In Iowa, Maternal Mortality Highlights Deep Racial Divide in Health Care by Natalie Krebs, Iowa Public Radio. Black women in Iowa are six times more likely to die during or shortly after childbirth than white women, and the reasons why are complicated. But this well-documented disparity also shows the role systemic racism plays in our entire health care system.
Overcoming Mental Health Stigma in the Latino Community by Cleveland Clinic
Want evidence of systemic racism? Look to Public Health by The Ohio State University College of Public Health