scholarly journals Perceptions of Cultural Competency Among Premedical Undergraduate Students

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. 238212052093482 ◽  
Author(s):  
Reeti Goyal ◽  
Skky Martin ◽  
Dana Garbarski

Background: Cultural competence is a difficult skill to teach, as it has several operational definitions as well as limited and unstandardized training procedures. Currently, there is no formal cultural competency training at the undergraduate level for students who seek to become a medical doctor. The purpose of this study is to explore perceptions of cultural competence among premedical undergraduates by assessing how they define and understand cultural competency and their knowledge (and sources thereof) of sociocultural realities in health and medicine. Methods: Structured in-depth interviews took place in 2016 and 2017 at a medium-sized private college in the Midwestern United States. Twenty premedical students were interviewed. The interviews were transcribed and thematically coded following an inductive, iterative, and systematic process. Results: Most students can provide a definition of cultural competence that includes at least one component of how it is conceptualized by the Association of American Medical Colleges. However, students focus largely on defining cultural competence as individual attitudes and interaction rather than systemic or structural realities that produce inequalities in health care. When explicitly asked, students varied in the level of detail provided in explaining the social determinants of health (such as race or ethnicity, sex, gender, and socioeconomic status) and varied in the accuracy of their definitions of traditional health practices. Each student noted the importance of training on cultural competence and many placed patients’ health at the center of their reason for doing so rather than focusing on their own training as a motivation. Students discussed various aspects of sociocultural differences and the need for physicians to understand patients’ outlooks on health care and be able to communicate to patients the purpose of suggested medical treatment, as well as the inherent tension in balancing patients as individuals and members of sociocultural groups. Premedical undergraduate students see their own cultural competence as an informal skill that is gained through social interactions across various areas of life, such as work, family, friends, and school. Conclusion: This study traces the sources of sociocultural information that premedical students will bring to their medical training as well as places where cultural competence can be further explored, practiced, and formally integrated in premedical education.

2018 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. 238212051875633
Author(s):  
Daniel Skinner ◽  
Kyle Rosenberger

In response to changes in health care, American medical schools are transforming their curricula to cultivate empathy, promote professionalism, and increase cultural competency. Many scholars argue that an infusion of the humanities in premedical and medical training may help achieve these ends. This study analyzes Web-based messaging of Ohio’s undergraduate institutions to assess premedical advising attitudes toward humanities-based coursework and majors. Results suggest that although many institutions acknowledge the humanities, most steer students toward science majors; strong advocates of the humanities tend to have religious or other special commitments, and instead of acknowledging the intrinsic value that the humanities might have for future physicians, most institutions promote the humanities because entrance exams now contain related material.


2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 270-277
Author(s):  
Patricia A. Aronson ◽  
Lorin A. Cartwright ◽  
Rebecca M. Lopez

Context It has become increasingly important that athletic trainers (ATs) understand and promote diversity, inclusion, and cultural competency. One technique athletic training educators can use to promote cultural competency for those in the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and asexual (LGBTQIA+) community is by attending a safe space ally training (SST) program to integrate the concepts of SST programing into their curriculum. Objective To provide athletic training educators with techniques to integrate inclusion and cultural competence regarding the LGBTQIA+ community into the athletic training curriculum using SST content. Our goal is that athletic training educators will train future ATs as well as embrace individual professional development. Background The National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA) LGBTQ+ Advisory Committee (AC) has created an SST workshop for athletic trainers. Educators can promote cultural competency throughout the curriculum using evidence-based training programs such as the NATA LGBTQ+ AC SST. Description The emphasis of SST is to improve cultural competence regarding sexual minorities to improve inclusivity in all athletic training settings. It is critical that athletic training education programs prepare graduates to be competent, compassionate, patient-centered and professional ATs who are ready to function as health care professionals for all patients. Clinical Advantage(s) A goal of cultural competency is to create an inclusive environment within all athletic training settings, whether it be in a classroom, a clinic, or a nontraditional work setting. Health disparities and health care inequities must be appreciated by every AT to deliver compassionate and competent care for all in marginalized populations. Educators can make a difference in the future of athletic training by increasing the cultural competency of their students. Conclusion(s) Patient-centered care, knowledge of the care of those in diverse and minority populations, and ethical behavior can be enhanced through SST programs.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michele Montecalvo

Abstract Introduction: The hierarchy of the American medical system and it’s disconnect of recognition beyond the binary of sexual minorities has created systematic inequitable care because of lack of appropriate cultural competency training. Healthcare providers are not adequately taught appropriate cultural competencies in standardized academic training. Methods: Given an online survey of varied health care providers (N = 208), the research examined “culturally competent health care delivery” knowledge, stage of change; precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, maintenance; as per the work of Prochaska & DiClemente, (1983) for taking action to be culturally sensitive, culturally competent, culturally appropriate, and future training desirability. Results: The sample population reported a high self-rating for aligning with definition of cultural competency; prevalence of 6 to 10 hours of engagement in cultural competence training; rating 3.97 (SD = .741) of quality for cultural competence training; Pre-Survey Stage of Change (N = 208) mean was 4.32 between action and maintenance, but closest to action (SD = 1.21); and with 71.2% already in maintenance it is noted that the research captured providers who have received equitable training, offering equitable care. Conclusions: Affirmation for LGBT clients is a critical adaptive response for practitioners recognizing the overt social injustices that have occurred historically as personal injustices and responding in a positive and accepting manner can dramatically improve patient engagement. Training within the confines of a grounded evidenced based theory can support appropriate and culturally competent equitable care. Keywords: healthcare providers, cultural competency, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT), stages of change, transtheoretical model


2014 ◽  
Vol 155 (21) ◽  
pp. 822-827
Author(s):  
Ágnes Váradi

The question of electronic solutions in public health care has become a contemporary issue at the European Union level since the action plan of the Commission on the e-health developments of the period between 2012 and 2020 has been published. In Hungary this issue has been placed into the centre of attention after a draft on modifications of regulations in health-care has been released for public discourse, which – if accepted – would lay down the basics of an electronic heath-service system. The aim of this paper is to review the basic features of e-health solutions in Hungary and the European Union with the help of the most important pieces of legislation, documents of the European Union institutions and sources from secondary literature. When examining the definition of the basic goals and instruments of the development, differences between the European Union and national approaches can be detected. Examination of recent developmental programs and existing models seem to reveal difficulties in creating interoperability and financing such projects. Finally, the review is completed by the aspects of jurisdiction and fundamental rights. It is concluded that these issues are mandatory to delineate the legislative, economic and technological framework for the development of the e-health systems. Orv. Hetil., 2014, 155(21), 822–827.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ignatius Bau ◽  
Robert A. Logan ◽  
Christopher Dezii ◽  
Bernard Rosof ◽  
Alicia Fernandez ◽  
...  

The authors of this paper recommend the integration of health care quality improvement measures for health literacy, language access, and cultural competence. The paper also notes the importance of patient-centered and equity-based institutional performance assessments or monitoring systems. The authors support the continued use of specific measures such as assessing organizational system responses to health literacy or the actual availability of needed language access services such as qualified interpreters as part of overall efforts to maintain quality and accountability. Moreover, this paper is informed by previous recommendations from a commissioned paper provided by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) to the Roundtable on Health Literacy of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. In the commissioned paper, NCQA explained that health literacy, language access, and cultural competence measures are siloed and need to generate results that enhance patient care improvements. The authors suggest that the integration of health literacy, language access, and cultural competence measures will provide for institutional assessment across multiple dimensions of patient vulnerabilities. With such integration, health care organizations and providers will be able to cultivate the tools needed to identify opportunities for quality improvement as well as adapt care to meet diverse patients’ complex needs. Similarly, this paper reinforces the importance of providing more “measures that matter” within clinical settings.


2021 ◽  
pp. 2455328X2199571
Author(s):  
Manisha Thapa ◽  
Pinak Tarafdar

In all cultures and regions, the concept of health varies, based on the type of environment and prevalent sociocultural traditions. The present study is conducted among the Lepchas of the village of Lingthem divided into two sectors—Upper and Lower Lingthem, Upper Dzongu, North Sikkim. This population comprising Buddhist Lepchas residing away from the mainstream through poor infrastructural facilities still maintain ethnomedical health care practices without influence of major Indian healing systems. Living in the area of Dzongu exclusively inhabited by Lepchas revival of ancient cultural practices is evident among Lepchas of Lingthem. The structure of religious beliefs prevalent among the Lepchas, including traditional animistic as well as Buddhist practices, greatly influence forms of treatment sought for specific ailments. Even today, the use and maintenance of traditional health care with syncretized Buddhist religious belief among residents of Lingthem act as a vital source for understanding the influence of religion on traditional health care practices. Despite the presence of a few modern health care agencies, the traditional treatment of Bongthing (Lepcha shaman) and Buddhist monks remain widely popular as primary means of health care.


2020 ◽  
pp. 002076402098161
Author(s):  
Vyjayanthi N Venkataramu ◽  
Bhavika Vajawat ◽  
Bharathram Sathur Raghuraman ◽  
SK Chaturvedi

Introduction: Cultural competence is a prerequisite skill for a psychiatrist. There is a dearth of information on the methods used for training of cultural competence and their outcomes. This study aims to explore and determine the existing methods used for cultural competency training (CCT) for psychiatry residents and how useful these training methods are. Method: A systematic review methodology based on PRISMA guidelines was adopted for this study. The literature search reviewed databases of PubMed and MesH, using keywords ‘psychiatry resident’, ‘psychiatry’, ‘psychiatrist’, ‘mental health’, and ‘mental health professional’. In the end,14 articles qualified for the detailed review. The level of evidence and quality of the studies were evaluated and recorded. Results: The methods of cultural competence training identified were grouped as, active/passive/mixed; group training/individual training. These included documentaries or non-feature films based teaching, secondary consultation and cross consultation models, case vignette discussions, Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE), behavioral simulation, video demonstration, cultural discussion in rounds, and traditional clinical teaching. The studies covered participants from different cultural backgrounds, mainly urban and predominantly university/institution based. Conclusion: There is limited literature in the area to conclude one method to be better than the other with respect to CCT in psychiatry residents. However, this review identified a variety of training methods, which can be used and pave way for research on their effectiveness. Training and evaluation of psychiatry residents in the area of cultural competence should be done routinely during their training to enable them to practice in the multi ethic societies.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Solomon Nyame ◽  
Edward Adiibokah ◽  
Yasmin Mohammed ◽  
Victor C. Doku ◽  
Caleb Othieno ◽  
...  

Abstract Background In low- and middle-income countries, the paucity of conventional health services means that many people with mental health problems rely on traditional health practitioners (THPs). This paper examines the possibility of forging partnerships at the Primary Health Care (PHC) level in two geopolitical regions of Ghana, to maximize the benefits to both health systems. Methods The study was a qualitative cross-sectional survey. Eight (8) focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted between February and April 2014. The views of THPs, PHC providers, service users (i.e. patients) and their caregivers, on the perceived benefits, barriers and facilitators of forging partnerships were examined. A thematic framework approach was employed for analysis. Results The study revealed that underlying the widespread approval of forging partnerships, there were mutual undertones of suspicion. While PHC providers were mainly concerned that THPs may incur harms to service users (e.g., through delays in care pathways and human rights abuses), service users and their caregivers highlighted the failure of conventional medical care to meet their healthcare needs. There are practical challenges to these collaborations, including the lack of options to adequately deal with human rights issues such as some patients being chained and exposed to the vagaries of the weather at THPs. There is also the issue of the frequent shortage of psychotropic medication at PHCs. Conclusion Addressing these barriers could enhance partnerships. There is also a need to educate all providers, which should include sessions clarifying the potential value of such partnerships.


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