"The Importance of Culturally Competent Care in Achieving Health Equity"
- Wellness for All
- Oct 5
- 2 min read
Overview:
Health care is a service, product, or action directed towards the maintenance and improvement of an individual’s or community’s well being. While the system has been able to improve, help, and save countless lives, it still has issues. One of the main problems is the imbalance of care when it comes to different individuals, simply because of the difference in culture, race, and language. However, there is hope, and in this post, we will be discussing what could lead to a better chance at health equity.
Content:
What is cultural competence and health equity?
Cultural competence is defined as the ability for providers to be able to account for their patients’ needs, specifically, the social, culture, and linguistic needs of the patients. Additionally, health equity is defined as the absence of unfair and unequal treatment among groups of people, ultimately leading to every individual having the opportunity to reach their full potential of health and well-being.
Why does cultural competence matter so much?
A culturally competent health care system can improve quality of care and healthcare outcomes, and can possibly lead to an elimination of ethnic and racial health disparities.
Who experience health disparities the most?
Healthcare has been noted to have persistent disparities when it comes to treatment of minorities. One of the main factors which limit minorities’ access to competent healthcare is the higher rates of unemployment and under-representation in good paying jobs. Another factor is that throughout history, minorities have always received inferior treatment in major societal institutions; healthcare is no exception.
When did the need for cultural competence increase?
The need for cultural competence has always existed, however, past societal norms were never in alignment. Now, in our current day and age, where society has seen progress and is now at its peak in terms of acceptance and integration, it is imperative to take the chance to truly create culturally competent healthcare systems. Minorities deserve equal treatment, no individual should be given better or worse care solely because of their racial backgrounds.
Conclusion:
In the end, changing the healthcare system will be a tough fight, however, equal treatment and care should always be the main priority. By integrating cultural competence into the field of healthcare, not only would the care for patients increase but also the elimination of ethnic and racial health disparities.
References:
Comments