Diverse Populations and Health Care

Diverse Populations and Health Care

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nIntroduction

nEthnic, religious and racial health diversities demonstrate weaker health results and poor quality of care. Cultural issues and language can also massively affect the health care delivery to the patient when the health care facility fails to pay close attention. As the nation continue to witness rise in the level of population diversity, hospitals are experiencing more people with ethnic and cultural diversity (Weech-Maldonado et al, 2012). The diversity of cultures and dialects can be overwhelming to the staff and health institution. For this reason, the staff and health organization must strive to realize cultural competence, which reflects the capacity to offer care to people with divergent behaviours, beliefs and values (Renzaho, et al, 2013). In addition, they should integrate the delivery of health care to satisfy the linguistic, cultural and social needs of the patient (Purnell, 2012). Emerging nursing delivery systems including patient-centred care demands the capacity to educate and engage patients on the status of their wellbeing. However, culturally diverse population compound the problem due to their cultural differences, literacy gaps and language barriers.

nFor health care systems and hospitals, it is important to acknowledge the advantages of promoting cultural competence among the staffs. Therefore, they should organize their staff and clinicians to cooperate with patients of different cultural settings to raise their education and engagement (Weech-Maldonado et al, 2012). It would also assist to reduce ethnic and racial inequalities in care. To enhance understanding of different ethnics, care systems, and hospitals must pursue advice from groups and individuals in the societies they serve (Renzaho, et al, 2013). In this regard, these individuals can assist care systems and hospitals to design educational materials promote the literacy of health care and facilitate the accessibility of health services to the patient (Purnell, 2012). Ethnic and racial minorities in the United States have high prevalence of mortality and morbidity from chronic illnesses. Consequently, they suffer from economic burden and huge activity restrictions (Truong, Paradies & Priest, 2014). For instance, a higher percentage of Latinos and African Americans as opposed to the Whites suffer from chronic diseases such as depression/anxiety, obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, cancer and asthma. Notably, these medical conditions are the most expensive in the country (Weech-Maldonado et al, 2012).

nA health care professional who does not have exhibit cultural competence may promote dissatisfaction of the patient and poor quality of care. Individuals suffering from chronic illnesses need extra health services hence raising their visits to the health care systems (Renzaho, et al, 2013). If the systems, organizations and the providers are not cooperating to offer culturally competent services, patients are highly susceptible to negative health results, dissatisfaction, and acquiring weak quality care (Betancourt, et al, 2016). Individuals practicing Islamic faith, Latinos and African Americans express poor collaboration with nurses, lower contribution in health decision and high level of dissatisfaction (Purnell, 2012). Moreover, the quality of nurse-patient collaborations is lower among Asian Americans, and Latinos. In this regard, the poor interactions between physician and patient are related to general feeling of dissatisfaction with health care (Weech-Maldonado et al, 2012). Research indicates that African Americans reports that they experience frequent incidences of disrespectful treatment such as being ignored, talked down and rude communication during their visit in health facility (Truong, Paradies & Priest, 2014).

nThe Advantages of Encouraging Cultural Competence

nCultural competence in a health care system or hospital must be promoted because it offers a wide range of benefits for the community, patients and organization (Betancourt, et al, 2016). Previous studies have indicated that health institutions that have paid close attention on cultural competence have enhanced health effects, realized mutual understanding and raised respect of the patient. Furthermore, they have improved local community participation (Renzaho, et al, 2013). On the other hand, health care facilities that have embraced cultural competence have lower cases of health care inequalities and lower costs (Weech-Maldonado et al, 2012). More importantly, it helps to increase the level of trust, enhance inclusion of different community, and promote family and patient accountability for health.

nCultural competence in hospitals is also beneficial because it expands data collection from the patients, improves patients preventive care and minimizes the inequalities of care in the population (Renzaho, et al, 2013). In addition, organizations that offer culturally competent services minimize the frequency of missed patient-nurse interaction. Finally, it helps to eliminate barriers that exist between the patient and the physician, integrate diverse strategies, ideas and perspectives into the process of decision-making, and enhance effectiveness of care (Purnell, 2012).

nStrategies to enhance cultural competence

nHealth care systems and hospitals must strive to realize cultural competence among its staff. Some of the most effective strategies to meet the health demand among the ethnic and racial minority group is by training health practitioners such as nurses and physicians (Betancourt, et al, 2016). Training helps to impart skills and knowledge, concerning particular groups and their health behaviours, beliefs and practices (Weech-Maldonado et al, 2012). On the other hand, the state and federal agencies should initiate comprehensive policies, which address the problem. Moreover, the health institution should offer interpreter services, which help to close the linguistic gap, hire members of minority, groups as nurses and physicians (Renzaho, et al, 2013). More importantly, the organization must integrate culture-specific values and attitudes into delivery models and involve community and family members in decision making of their patient (Betancourt, et al, 2016).

nConclusion

nHealth care organization should sensitize their staff and clinicians to cooperate with patients of different cultural settings raise patient education and engagement. It can also assist in reducing cases of ethnic and racial discrepancies in health care provisions (Renzaho, et al, 2013). Cultural competence is required to offer care to persons with different behaviours, beliefs and values. Moreover, the health care systems should realize the advantages associated with being culturally competent (Purnell, 2012). For instance, it raises the level of trust among patients to the health care provider. For this reason, they should embrace effective strategies such as training of staff and recruiting members of minority as nurses.

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nReferences

nBetancourt, J. R., Green, A. R., Carrillo, J. E., & Owusu Ananeh-Firempong, I. I. (2016). Defining cultural competence: a practical framework for addressing racial/ethnic disparities in health and health care. Public health reports.

nPurnell, L. D. (2012). Transcultural health care: A culturally competent approach. FA Davis.

nRenzaho, A. M. N., Romios, P., Crock, C., & Sønderlund, A. L. (2013). The effectiveness of cultural competence programs in ethnic minority patient-centered health care—a systematic review of the literature. International Journal for Quality in Health Care, 25(3), 261-269.

nTruong, M., Paradies, Y., & Priest, N. (2014). Interventions to improve cultural competency in healthcare: a systematic review of reviews. BMC health services research, 14(1), 99.

nWeech-Maldonado, R., Elliott, M. N., Pradhan, R., Schiller, C., Hall, A., & Hays, R. D. (2012). Can hospital cultural competency reduce disparities in patient experiences with care?. Medical care, 50, S48.