Bridging Cultures: Delivering Culturally Appropriate Care

Five Objectives:

• Define cultural competence in health care

• Identify elements of culture • Describe reasons why cultural

competence is important in health care • Describe three key stages to

developing cultural competence • Describe the protocol for accessing

interpretation services

What is Culture?

• Culture is the beliefs, ideals, and norms of a particular group expressed in language, dress, behavior and symbols

Cultural Competence is:

• Recognition of cultural beliefs, attitudes, language preferences and practices of diverse populations

• Application of knowledge and understanding at the individual and organizational levels to produce positive health outcomes

Cultural competence begins with awareness

• Dress

• Language

• Body posture

• Physical appearance

• Age

• Gender

• Physical abilities

Elements of culture that can be seen or heard include:

Other aspects of culture are not as obvious:

• Religion

• Beliefs

• Ethics

• Customs

• Diet needs and preferences

• Family structure

• Sexual identity

Why is Cultural Competence important?

The face of the Lehigh Valley is changing

Why must the hospital provide culturally competent care?

• It is the right thing to do! • It is required by regulatory and accrediting

agencies: – JCAHO – Office of Minority Health – U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

• CLAS standards (Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services) out of Office of Minority Health, from the US Dept of Health & Human (Title 6) CLAS Standard Themes

Why is Cultural Competence Important?

• Reduces disparities in health care

• Provides quality care

• Increases positive patient outcomes

• Improves patient satisfaction

• Necessary for patient safety

• Decreases the likelihood of liability/malpractice claims

LVHHN’s commitment to cultural competence :

• Supports a workforce that reflects diversity in culture, race, ethnicity and gender

• Orients all employees on sensitivity to other cultures

• Addresses cultural sensitivity in the annual performance evaluation

• Offers tools and resources to assist staff in communicating with patients in other languages

Key Stages to Developing Cultural Competence

1. Develop an awareness

2. Show respect

3. Begin making changes

Cultural competence in health care is important because it recognizes and values the diversity of the patients we serve; it applies knowledge and understanding of differences to produce positive health outcomes

Review

Cultural competence in health care is:

• Required by regulations.– It also facilitates safe, quality care; improves

outcomes and patient satisfaction; and it is the right thing to do.

First Key Stage

– Develop an awareness and understand your own:

– Attitudes and behaviors – Reactions to others whom you perceive as

“different” – Personal and cultural viewpoints and

influences

Second Key Stage

– Show respect – Do NOT use family members as interpreters – Maintain privacy and confidentiality – Identify health beliefs for each patient – Treat each patient as an individual – Show respect even when you do not understand – Avoid judging – Avoid stereotyping

Third Key Stage

– Begin making changes – Get to know your patient – Patients may not see the world as you do – See patients as members of a family – Accommodate cultural preferences

whenever possible

Cross – Cultural Communication

• We communicate how we feel and what we need through words, actions, and emotions

• Even when two people speak the same language, different values and beliefs can affect understanding

• Trained Medical Interpreters can help bridge communication when people do not speak the same language

Cultural Competence teaches us how to bridge differences in cultures . . .

Spoken language is just one of the ways we can do this.

Where can I find information on Cultural Differences and

Interpretation Services at Lehigh Valley Hospital?

Cultural Differences

• Resources:

• Cultural Clues ™ • Designed to increase awareness about

concepts and preferences of patients from diverse cultures

• The link to these documents is found on the LVH Intranet home page under “Employee Resources” (upper left column)

• Search the Internet

Interpretation Services

1. Assess Patient Need: Utilize Screening Instrument for patient’s language preference (multiple language assessment tool… patient points to appropriate language)

(Screening instrument on next page)

Interpretation Services (continued)

2. Access the Language Line (1-800-892-5062) for linguistic assistance in over 127 languages.

3. For Sign Language assistance: Access the Interpreters_List Bulletin Board for contracted agencies and individual contractors who are available 24/7. It is the responsibility of the unit to arrange for these services for the patient.

Cedar Crest Site

Spanish Interpreter NeededCoverage from 7am-7pm

Monday-Friday

Any other language other than Spanish call *Language

Line @ 1800-892-5062

Call 610-402-8221 or Page ID# 1173 for

triage

Triage will send Full-time Trained Medical Interpreter/ If one is not available then

triage will send a cross trained interpreter

Call *Language Line for all languages other than

Spanish @ 1800-892-5062

*Language Line 1-800-892-50626 digit account # 207009State your cost center #And language needed

7pm-7am or weekendsAll languages including Spanish call *Language

Line 1800-892-5062

Use cross trained staff

interpreter within cost center

Muhlenberg Site

Spanish Interpreter NeededCoverage from 7am-7pm

Monday- Friday

Any other language other than Spanish call *Language

Line @ 1800-892-5062

Call 610-402-5100Page ID#6767

& Enter you call back #

7pm-7am or weekendsAll languages including Spanish call *Language Line 1800-892-

5062

Use trained staff interpreter within

cost center

Interpreters / CommunicationAssistance