Why is Cultural Competence Important?

The United States is known to be a melting pot. With a vast amount of races, ethnicities, religions, beliefs, and values, future healthcare professionals must understand the need for cultural competence in healthcare facilities.

12.9% of the US population is comprised of foreign-born people, those who are not US citizens at birth(Census Bureau 2010). This number is only increasing, and it is predicted that international immigration will soon overtake natural increase as the main source of population growth(Vespa 2).

Moreover, even though Census Bureau does not track religious affiliation, it is estimated that there are over 4,000 different religions practiced around the world; there are also at least 350 different languages currently spoken in this country(Census Bureau 2015).

The diversity in our country allows for so many different situations that may come up when treating a patient, and it is more than plausible that a healthcare provider’s patients come from an array of different backgrounds. So h

ow in the world do healthcare professionals deliver quality care that accounts for patients’ unique situations? The answer is simple: cultural competence.

Through knowledge of different healthcare practices in various cultures, ethnicities, and religions found across the world, the healthcare provider can develop a special relationship of mutual respect and understanding with the patient. The ability of the healthcare provider to be accepting of the patient’s cultural background can lead to higher levels of trust as well as a greater likelihood of patient compliance with the medical regimen.

Cultural competence can also increase the quality of care a patient receives. Since the provider has taken into account the entirety of the patient’s background including language, religion, race, gender identity, sexual orientation, along with other social determinants of health, they have a better understanding of what the patient is likely to prefer in terms of healthcare. The physician can then work with the patient to come up with the best healthcare routine that satisfies both parties.

In addition to improving patient care, cultural competence can help reduce the prevalence and severity of disparities in healthcare. As more healthcare workers become aware of the disparities that are prominent among minority groups, they are able to identify changes they can make to reduce those disparities.

Consider the breast cancer disparity among black women. A significant reason why the breast cancer disparity is so prominent is that healthcare workers do not follow up with black women as quickly as they do with white women. By acknowledging the systematic racism underlying this disparity, healthcare workers will be able to address the problem, target this disparity, and eliminate it.

Without cultural competence in the healthcare setting, numerous harmful misunderstandings can occur. Take the story of a 2-year-old Latino girl who was brought into the hospital after sustaining multiple severe injuries. The girl’s mother told the attending resident, “Se pegó, se pegó,” which the resident interpreted as the girl was physically struck. After looking at previous hospital records, the physicians suspected child abuse and took the girl away from her mother. Nearly two hours later, the DSS (diplomatic security service) brought a fluent translator and interviewed the mother, discovering that the girl fell off of her bike and got hurt. They concluded that the child was perfectly safe at home

(Hoffman 2015).

This entire misunderstanding could have been avoided entirely if the physicians applied cultural competence and requested the help of a translator. Instead, a family was almost wrongly separated.

This is, unfortunately, one of the many examples of a situation in which cultural competence was not demonstrated and the patient had to suffer because of it. By strengthening the patient-provider relationship, improving the quality of care provided, reducing the prevalence of disparities, and so much more, cultural competence has proven to be an integral component of modern healthcare practice.

By: Sreenidhi Saripalli