142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition

Annual Meeting Recordings are now available for purchase

296678
Cultural Competency in Health Care: Evaluating the Outcomes of a Cultural Competency Training Among Healthcare Professionals

142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition (November 15 - November 19, 2014): http://www.apha.org/events-and-meetings/annual
Monday, November 17, 2014 : 8:48 AM - 9:06 AM

Sunil Khanna, PhD , School of Biological and Population Health Sciences International Health Program, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR
Margaret Henning, MA, PhD , Health Science, Keene State College, Keene, NH
Background:  In recent years scholars and policy makers have paid considerable attention to the topic of cultural competency, especially as it relates to the delivery of healthcare in the United States. Scholarly research has focused on the potential role of cultural competency training for healthcare providers in reducing health care disparities. This presentation will discuss the results of a pilot study carried out to examine the effectiveness of a cultural competency training program designed to improve the knowledge and skills of healthcare providers and administrators engaging in cross-cultural clinical encounters. Methods: Post-pre data was collected from 43 healthcare professionals (health care providers and health administrators) who attended a 4-hour cultural competency workshop. The aim was to answer a key question: Does cultural competency training produce a measurable change in knowledge and skills relating to the care of patients from diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds? Conclusions: Study results show that that cultural competency training improves the knowledge and skills of health care providers and administrators.  The study offers a reliable, innovative, and time-efficient strategy—post-then pre method—for evaluating the outcomes of short cultural competency training programs.

Learning Areas:

Diversity and culture
Other professions or practice related to public health
Public health or related education
Social and behavioral sciences

Learning Objectives:
Analyze the potential role of cultural competency training for health care providers in reducing healthcare disparities. Describe the effectiveness of a cultural competency training program designed to improve the knowledge and skills of healthcare providers and administrators engaging in cross-cultural, clinical encounters. Identify key topics that could be integrated into cultural competency training for healthcare professionals.

Keyword(s): Communication, Cultural Competency

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: Currently, a professor in School of Biological and Population Health Sciences at Oregon State University. Research interests include the complex interrelations of biology, culture, gender, ethnicity, and health. My work uses diverse yet complementary field techniques such as ethnographic research and qualitative methods, microdemographic survey, and nutritional anthropometry.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.