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February 20, 2023


Cultural Competence in Healthcare Workshop

WEILL CORNELL MEDICINE-QATAR

Overview

A humanistic approach to medical practices has been developing over the last few decades, emphasizing the importance of the social aspects and cultural competence in healthcare. Studies reveal that cultural diversity increases the complexity of healthcare systems and creates various challenges for healthcare practitioners, administrators and staff. Research suggests that patients’ who do not speak the mainstream language of the healthcare system are “at higher risk of experiencing adverse events” than those who are fluent in the language.

This workshop will enhance healthcare providers’, administrators’ and staffs’ knowledge, skills, and attitude to interact effectively when working in multicultural and multilingual environment. Participants will explore cultural competence terms such as healthcare disparities, bias, stereotype and other barriers to quality healthcare. This activity will equip participants with strategies to overcome such challenges, leading to increased patients’ satisfaction and overall healthcare quality.


Identified Practice Gaps/Educational Needs

Effective and clear communication between healthcare providers and patients is a key factor for quality healthcare delivery and outcomes. Specific attention to healthcare providers’ competencies in communication within linguistically and culturally diversified populations is highly recommended. The Joint Commission International supports and follows the National Standards for Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Healthcare Services standards, developed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (For example, JCI standard PC.02.0121, JCI standard LD.04.01.01, and EP.2 directly fulfill CLAS standards.) Medical education and healthcare institutions have incorporated cultural competency training to fulfill the accreditation requirements of the Association of American Medical Colleges tool for Assessing Cultural Competence Training, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education requirements and the National Standards for CLAS in U.S. developed by The Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Minority Health to eliminate health disparities. Qatar is considered as an extremely high-density multicultural setting. Language barriers are very common among healthcare professionals and patients’ population in Qatar’s healthcare setting. Cultural competence training for healthcare professionals will help to improve access to quality healthcare for all. 


Objectives

  • Value the impact of diversity in healthcare, particularly in Qatar.
  • Define and differentiate between cultural competency, patient-centered care, and cultural humility.
  • Describe how culture influences both patients' and provider's expectations and decision making.
  • Recognize the effect of bias and stereotyping on health care quality and describe strategies to reduce them.
  • Value basic cross-cultural communication attitudes (Respect, Curiosity, Empathy)
  • Apply basic strategies to work with medical interpreters in healthcare settings.
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Target Audience

Physicians, nurses, dentists, pharmacists, allied health practitioners, researchers, educators and administrators.


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