Oral

This session presents research on cultural factors that impact the relationship of healthcare providers and patients, their communication, as well as the quality of health services delivery. One of the presentations evaluates the Tucker-Culturally Sensitive Health Care Provider Inventory; an innovative tool for use by patients to evaluate health care providers in terms of patient-centeredness and cultural competence. Potential implications are explored with regards to assessment and training to promote cultural sensitivity and eliminate health disparities. Another identifies actionable reasons for patients’ non-compliance with clinical guidelines. Social and behavioral sciences models are further used to support design of innovative health promotion interventions to improve patience compliance. Another presentation describes patients’ assessments of doctors’ cultural competence, including identifying where providers need training on working with differences. Comparative rankings of cultural sensitivity versus other categories of difference (age, gender, disability, income, etc.) are then discussed in terms of overall impact on doctor/patient communication. The last presentation explores a multi-stakeholder coalition designed to enhance health care providers’ capacity to address the health literacy needs and understanding of CVD health information by adults aged 50 and older. This session will improve understanding of how delivery of healthcare can be determined by cultural factors. It also analyzes how provider-patient communication can be improved, and how improved communication affects patient compliance/health outcomes.

Session Objectives: 1. Explore the interfaces between culture and health care provision from an interdisciplinary perspective. 2. Identify the impact of cultural factors and the cultural sensitivity of providers on health communication and the quality of health services delivery. 3. Examine the relevance of the social sciences in understanding barriers to health care and treatment compliance and to the design of innovative solutions to improve care and eliminate disparities.