“Janice,” a hypothetical patient, is female, 46 years old, African-American, and a convenience store clerk living below the poverty level. These traits, particularly her gender, race, and socioeconomic status, immediately elevate her risk of cardiovascular disease.
Why More Hospitals Should Prioritize Cultural Competency
“Janice” is female, 46 years old, African-American, and a convenience store clerk living below the poverty level. These traits, particularly her gender, race and socio-economic status, immediately elevate her risk of cardiovascular disease. These are important indicators her doctor, who would tend to be male, white, and affluent, needs to keep in mind as he treats her. To improve health outcomes for patients like for Janice, health care organizations can implement cultural competency training to help care providers become more attuned to the needs of patients who are often underserved. Three things in particular can help: first, be creative and expansive about addressing any language barriers. Second, be alert for any mental health issues that may have gone thus far unreported. And third, be mindful of stereotype threat.
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