Cultural Competency

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Course Objectives

Describe the principles of cultural competency, cultural humility, and patient-centered care as they relate to professional healthcare practice.
Identify cultural, social, communication, and accessibility factors that may influence patient interactions, healthcare experiences, and health outcomes.
Apply evidence-based communication strategies, including plain language, teach-back, active listening, and appropriate use of interpreter services, to support respectful, inclusive patient care.
Recognize the influence of implicit bias and self-awareness on clinical decision-making and implement practical strategies to promote equitable, patient-centered care.
Integrate culturally responsive practices, professional standards, and regulatory expectations into everyday healthcare interactions while remaining within the healthcare professional's scope of practice.

Course Content

Course Creator: Nichelle Volker RMA

Total CE Hours: 2 Hours

Course Number: 586-2706-26

Key Terms:

Cultural competency

Cultural humility

Health equity

Implicit bias

Social determinants of health (SDOH)

Outline:

I. Introduction

Course Objectives
Key Terminology

II. Foundations of Cultural Competency

Why cultural competency matters
Oregon's commitment to equitable care
Cultural competency vs. cultural humility

III. Understanding Diversity in Healthcare

What shapes culture?
Race vs. ethnicity
Language and communication
Religion and spiritual beliefs
Sex, gender identity, and sexual orientation
Age and generational differences
Disability and accessibility
Socioeconomic status
Family structure and support systems
Avoiding assumptions
Knowledge Application: Fact or Fiction?

IV. Health Disparities and Social Determinants of Health

What are health disparities?
Why disparities exist
Social determinants of health
Economic stability
Healthcare access
Education and health literacy
Community and environment
How allied health professionals can help
Knowledge Application: Which SDOH Is Most Influential?

V. Implicit Bias

What is implicit bias?
How bias develops
Common types of bias
How bias affects healthcare
Pain assessment bias
Communication bias
Reducing personal bias
Building self-awareness
Practical strategies for reducing bias
Knowledge Application: Spot the Bias

VI. Effective Cross-Cultural Communication

Patient-centered communication
Active listening
Plain language
Health literacy
Teach-back method
Qualified medical interpreters
Family members as interpreters
Nonverbal communication
Respectful questions
Building trust
Trauma-informed communication
Documentation considerations
Communication pearls
Knowledge Application: Patient-Centered Communication

VII. Respectful and Inclusive Patient Care

Creating an inclusive environment
Preferred names and pronouns
Respecting religious and cultural practices
Supporting patients with disabilities
Privacy, dignity, and modesty
Patient autonomy
Professional boundaries
Inclusive care best practices
Knowledge Application: Communication Makeover

VIII. Applying Cultural Competency

Case Study: Limited English Proficiency
Case Study: Religious Accommodation
Case Study: Low Health Literacy
Case Study: Implicit Bias
Case Study: Inclusive Communication

IX. Professional Standards and Continuous Growth

Professional responsibilities
Oregon spotlight
Professional growth
Key takeaways
Reflection

References:

Oregon Health Authority. (2021). Cultural competency continuing education program. https://www.oregon.gov/oha
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Minority Health. (2013). National standards for culturally and linguistically appropriate services (CLAS) in health and health care. https://thinkculturalhealth.hhs.gov/clas
Institute of Medicine. (2003). Unequal treatment: Confronting racial and ethnic disparities in health care. National Academies Press. https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/12875/unequal-treatment-confronting-racial-and-ethnic-disparities-in-health-care
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024). Health equity. https://www.cdc.gov/health-equity
Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. (n.d.). Healthy People 2030: Social determinants of health. https://health.gov/healthypeople/priority-areas/social-determinants-health
National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities. (2017). NIMHD research framework. https://www.nimhd.nih.gov/about/overview/research-framework/
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. (2024). Health literacy universal precautions toolkit (3rd ed.). https://www.ahrq.gov/health-literacy
The Joint Commission. (2010). Advancing effective communication, cultural competence, and patient- and family-centered care: A roadmap for hospitals. https://www.jointcommission.org
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights. (2003). Guidance to federal financial assistance recipients regarding Title VI prohibition against national origin discrimination affecting limited English proficient persons. https://www.hhs.gov/civil-rights/for-individuals/special-topics/limited-english-proficiency/index.html
Tervalon, M., & Murray-García, J. (1998). Cultural humility versus cultural competence: A critical distinction in defining physician training outcomes in multicultural education. Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved, 9(2), 117–125. https://doi.org/10.1353/hpu.2010.0233
Campinha-Bacote, J. (2002). The process of cultural competence in the delivery of healthcare services: A model of care. Journal of Transcultural Nursing, 13(3), 181–184. https://doi.org/10.1177/10459602013003003
FitzGerald, C., & Hurst, S. (2017). Implicit bias in healthcare professionals: A systematic review. BMC Medical Ethics, 18, Article 19. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12910-017-0179-8
Marcelin, J. R., Siraj, D. S., Victor, R., Kotadia, S., & Maldonado, Y. A. (2019). The impact of unconscious bias in healthcare: How to recognize and mitigate it. The Journal of Infectious Diseases, 220(Suppl. 2), S62–S73. https://doi.org/10.1093/infdis/jiz214
U.S. Department of Justice. (2024). Americans with Disabilities Act. https://www.ada.gov
Institute for Healthcare Improvement. (n.d.). Person- and family-centered care. https://www.ihi.org
World Health Organization. (2021). Health equity. https://www.who.int/health-topics/health-equity