Self-assessment is one of the elements of cultural competence, so each healthcare professional should conduct such tasks regularly (Purnell, 2014). The assessment of cultural and linguistic competence of my healthcare facility sheds light on quite significant gaps in this area. Although some policies and guidelines related to cultural and linguistic aspects are in place, they are far from being exhaustive. I will reveal the most serious issues further in this paper.
The healthcare facility I work for has some guidelines and policies that concentrate on such populations as Hispanics, Asian Americans, and African Americans. Some of these regulations have been used for a while and mainly contain information on the most evident issues associated with cross-cultural interactions. These documents are quite helpful, but they do not include the data concerning many health-related believes, socioeconomic issues each group faces, people’s expectations regarding the care they receive, and so on.
Moreover, the facility has no interpreters or people can provide high-quality care to many groups. Furthermore, the guidelines are very general especially when it comes to interactions with Asian American patients. One of the major concerns is associated with the lack of information on the demographics of the area.
All in all, the facility is barely ready to provide high-quality care to minority groups. It is critical to conduct a study in order to identify all cultural groups and their needs and peculiarities. On the basis of this research, sound policies and guidelines on the provision of care to these populations should be developed. Finally, the administration has to ensure the development and implementation of effective training programs for the staff in order to ensure the compliance with new regulations.
Reference
Purnell, L. D. (2014). Guide to culturally competent health care (3rd ed.). Philadelphia, PA: F.A. Davis.