Predictors of cultural competence of physicians in a psychiatry academic department in an urban setting

With the increase in cultural diversity in United States, a need for culturally competent health care has arisen. Immigration has been the major driving force behind the recent growth of different types of cultural groups. With the demographic and cultural changes that accompany immigration and cultural diversification, it is becoming imperative that healthcare providers manage complex differences in communication styles, attitudes, expectations, and world views, as well as multiple languages. Apart from ethnic and racial differences, culturally competent care has also come to include care focused on the socioeconomic class, gender, and sexual orientation of the patients. Providing culturally competent care has been associated with improved provider-patient communications, improved compliance with medical regimens, greater satisfaction with care, and better health outcomes. A cross-sectional descriptive study will be conducted to examine variables associated with cultural competence among mental healthcare providers at the University of Texas, Houston. Differences between attending and resident physicians and gender based differences in cultural competency, if any, will also be explored. This study is underway and data collection should be finished by the end of March 2009.