Enhancing Healthcare Through Cultural Competency, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Enhancing Healthcare Through Cultural Competency, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Cultural Competency

Cultural competency in healthcare is an attitude or skill that depicts the capacity of healthcare providers to acknowledge, value, and address the cultural and linguistic needs of patients who have different backgrounds (Nair & Adetayo, 2019).

Diversity

Togioka et al., (2022) argue that diversity in healthcare encompasses the diverse backgrounds, experiences, identities, and points of view of both patients and healthcare professionals. It encompasses differences in terms of race, ethnicity, language, religion, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, and other categories.

Importance of these Concepts

These principles are the most vital for providing patient-oriented and equitable care because they guarantee that the services tailored to the specific needs and preferences of an individual are offered. Through cultural competency and diversity, healthcare providers can strengthen communication, establish trust, reduce disparities, and improve health outcomes (Nair & Adetayo, 2019).

Definition of Key Terms

Cultural competency is defined as the ability of a person or an organization to engage productively with people who belong to different cultural circles. This highly involves the knowledge of cultural differences, respect, acceptance, and tailoring of practices and approaches to the needs of culturally diverse people and their communities (Nair & Adetayo, 2019).

Further, diversity refers to the variety of human differences present in a group, organization, or community (Togioka et al., 2022). These disparities encompass such factors as race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age, religion, socioeconomic status, and language. On the other hand, equity refers to the fair and just sharing of resources, opportunities, and outcomes among all social groups, regardless of their origin or description (Coleman & Taylor, 2023). It consists of both discovering and correcting the structural barriers and disparities that stop some groups from fully sharing the same provision of access, chances, and outcomes as other groups.

Lastly, inclusion is the process of developing spaces where everyone is welcome, whose voices are heard, and who feels validated, and empowered and is given the space and opportunity to fully partake and contribute (Coleman & Taylor, 2023). Inclusive workspaces are marked by openness, collaboration, empathy, and mutual respect, and people from diverse backgrounds can learn and advance in such an environment.

Cultural Factors that May Influence Healthcare Interactions.

Language Barriers

Patients who are confined are those who speak a language other than the dominant language in a healthcare setting and may experience difficulties in communication with their healthcare providers, resulting in misinterpretations and low-quality healthcare (Nair & Adetayo, 2019).

Health Beliefs and Practices

Cultures may have contrasted ideas about health, disease, and cure from one country to the other (Nair & Adetayo, 2019). Likewise, the community might opt for treatment methods that use medicinal herbs as opposed to using Western medicine.

Religious beliefs

Religious practices and beliefs can lead to unique healthcare solutions that differentiate people by decisions related to treatment, treatment preferences, end-of-life care, etc. (Lyon et al., 2019). For example, some religious groups may be adhering to certain dietary principles or even particular approaches toward healthcare.

Family dynamics

The place where relatives participate in healthcare decision-making fluctuates based on culture.

Socioeconomic factors

Socioeconomic position can impact entry to healthcare services, literacy of health, and outcomes of health (Nair & Adetayo, 2019). People from disadvantaged households could encounter, a lack of insurance, transport obstacles, or lack of healthy food accessibility.

References

Coleman, L. R., & Taylor, E. D. (2023). The Importance of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for Effective, Ethical Leadership. Clinics in Sports Medicine, 42(2), 269–280. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.csm.2022.11.002

Lyon, M. E., D’Angelo, L. J., Cheng, Y. I., Dallas, R. H., Garvie, P. A., & Wang, J. (2019). The influence of religious beliefs and practices on health care decision-making among HIV positive adolescents. AIDS Care, 32(7), 896–900. https://doi.org/10.1080/09540121.2019.1668523

Nair, L., & Adetayo, O. A. (2019). Cultural competence and ethnic diversity in healthcare. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery – Global Open, 7(5). https://doi.org/10.1097/gox.0000000000002219

Togioka, B. M., Duvivier, D., & Young, E. (2022). Diversity and Discrimination In Healthcare. PubMed; StatPearls Publishing. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33760480/

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Briefly define cultural competency and diversity in the context of healthcare.
Highlight the importance of these concepts for providing equitable and patient-centered care.

Enhancing Healthcare Through Cultural Competency, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Define key terms: cultural competency, diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Provide examples of cultural factors that may influence healthcare interactions.