Organizational Readiness for the Multicultural World
Are health care organizations ready to provide equitable care in a multicultural world? Health equity is has been established when everyone has access to health care regardless of social, economic, or environmental position. In the United States, the burdens of disease and poor health and the benefits of well-being and good health are inequitably distributed. Changes in the health care delivery system are required to reduce health disparities through recognition and the necessity of addressing the health care needs of a diverse population. Health disparities are variations that exist among specific population groups. Disparities can be measured by incidence, prevalence, and mortality. Disparities can also exist across many other dimensions as well, such as gender, sexual orientation, age, disability status, socioeconomic status, and geographic location. Populations that have the least access to health care suffer the greatest impact of disparities .
Health care organizations can contribute to the elimination of health disparities, both racial and ethnic, through education. An approach used to achieve cultural competence is aimed at programs that “teach about the attitudes, values, and beliefs of a specific cultural group. This approach to training proposes that cultural competence can be taught through reflective awareness, empathy, active listening techniques, and the cognitive mechanisms”. Changes must occur simultaneously at the provider and organizational level.
