Establishing cultural competency standards in a student-served university health center

In response to United States' demographical shifts, awareness has been raised regarding the relationships between healthcare providers and patients from diverse racial/cultural backgrounds. The Office of Minority Health defines this phenomenon as cultural competency which is “a set of congruent behaviors, attitudes, and policies that come together in a system, agency, or among professionals that enables effective work in cross-cultural situations” (2006). Although there are guidelines for establishing standards in general health services organizations, limited research is available in university health centers. A comprehensive public university with approximately 17,000 students has recently adopted various diversity initiatives intended to increase minority student enrollment. Accordingly, the university's health center (UHC) must prepare for the changing demographics of its patients. In order to assess possible barriers to seeking service and overall satisfaction rates with the UHC, a voluntary patient survey was administered to racial minority and international students using WebSurveyor software (n=319, response rate=20%). Survey findings demonstrate high satisfaction rates and no cultural barriers to seeking service; however, unfamiliarity with the services provided was the most frequently cited barrier to seeking service (30.8%). Based on study findings, a prioritized list of diversity enhancement recommendations was developed, creating a framework for the establishment of cultural competency standards. The categories of implementation are: 1) Physical Environment Enhancement, 2) Documentation/Policy Revision, 3) Patient Feedback and Evaluation, and 4) Staff Recruitment and Development. Implications of study findings are discussed and provide a helpful tool for healthcare administrators as they consider tackling this important issue.