Cultural Competency

 Serving a diverse population is one of the privileges of being a doctor. But it is shocking that some patients do not enjoy the same outcomes that others do no matter how hard we try to provide them with the same care. Health disparities based on ethnicity and culture cut through every specialty and category of disease. We have learned that by trying to provide the same care to all we have only accentuated health disparities. So what is the secret? We have learned that some patients need a special effort, that is to say, MORE CARE to achieve the same outcomes as others. We have changed our model from “health equality” to “health equity” meaning that instead of delivering the same care to all we try to deliver whatever the amount of care needed to achieve the same outcomes. That effort to understand the patient’s health literacy, their belief system, the social determinants in which they live, and the establishment of trust despite the unconscious bias that robs our doctor-patient relationship of its effectiveness is why we offer this curriculum in cultural competency.