Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #110842

Janice Tompkins, MPH, MT(ASCP), School of Allied Health Professions, University of Nebraska Medical Center, 985150 Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-5150, 402-559-7633, jtompkin@unmc.edu

Patients who receive health care and public health services that are culturally appropriate are more compliant with recommended treatments and more trusting of the health care they receive, which improves health care utilization and reduces costs. Developing a curriculum of cultural competence to serve as one module of a course for training medical interpreters was the first step in this project. This project was completed in conjunction with the Central Nebraska Area Health Education Center (CN-AHEC) in Grand Island, Nebraska as part of the Robert Wood Johnson Grant, “Hablamos Juntos”. The curriculum is also to serve as a stand-alone course to introduce health care providers in the CN-AHEC area to the process of cultural competence.

The curriculum design was based on the five essential elements of cultural competence outlined by the National Center for Cultural Competence. (Cross et al., 1989) Specific ethnic populations residing in the project area were identified. Ten health-related cultural characteristics were identified as the basis of cross-cultural comparisons. Questions developed from this list of characteristics were used in interviewing each ethnic group and provided the culture-specific knowledge.

Two pilot presentations of the developed curriculum were made to health care provider groups--the first to a group representing middle-management staff from two physicians' office practice groups and a hospital and the second to the staff of a central Nebraska public health department. The curriculum was proven to effectively provide the participants with information needed in the process of culturally competence.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify the components of a cultural competency curriculum
• Discuss the relationship of the CLAS standards and cultural competence
• Recognize the benefits of culturally competent care for our society

Keywords: Cultural Competency, Immigrants

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.

Recorded presentation