The overwhelming question facing the United States healthcare system during the 21st century is how we will accommodate the increasing cultural diversity of our patient population. This new demographic makeup will challenge this country, its citizens and its healthcare institutions to accommodate the patients who represent every corner of the world, as well as every language, culture and religious belief.
Associations Presentations Tools for Healthcare Workers Useful SitesMore than just a buzzword, diversity is important to the success of respiratory therapists as we deliver care to our patients. We as respiratory therapists must grapple with the issue of diversity. In today’s society it means respiratory therapists will see patients that vary in gender, race, and creed passing through our hospital and clinic doors. We must become culturally competent to treat those patients with language barriers and cultural misunderstandings that have the potential of decreasing the quality of communication between patients and ultimately the quality of care those patients receive.
Respiratory therapists should be able to understand how to effectively evaluate their patients by becoming culturally competent. Why?
- 287 million people are predicted to be living the United States by 2050, a 124 million increase.
- The Hispanic population will increase from nine percent to 25 percent of the population.
- The Asian population will increase from three percent to eight percent of the population.
- The African American population will increase from 12 percent to 14 percent of the population.
- The non-Hispanic white population will decrease from 75 percent of the total population to 50 percent.
We, as respiratory therapists, must take an active role in becoming culturally competent. We are patient focused caregivers, now let us be focused and provide culturally competent care to our patients. As an organization, the AARC values and embraces equal opportunity, and promotes the use of personal and cultural backgrounds to enhance the respiratory therapy profession. Please read the AARC’s Position Statement on Cultural Diversity and Inclusion.
The Diversity Committee maintains the resources on this website.
Associations
- American Medical Student Association
- Transcultural Nursing Society
- Chinese American Medical Society
- The National Alliance for Hispanic Health
- Society for Medical Anthropology
- American Hospital Association
- Texas Diversity Council
- American College of Healthcare Executives
Presentations
Implicit Bias: What You Don’t Know Can Hurt You
Crystal Dunlevy, EdD, RRT
Are you able to assess your patients, co-workers, and students in a fair and accurate way? This presentation will address hidden biases that we all possess based on a lifetime of experience and exposure. Implicit bias and the impact it can have on patient care and daily interactions will be discussed; mechanisms for reducing implicit bias are presented. This original AARC webcast aired on March 29, 2017.
Tools for Healthcare Workers
- The University of Southern California’s free Diversity Toolkit: A Guide to Discussing Identity, Power and Privilege is designed for anyone who feels there is a lack of productive discourse around issues of diversity and the role of identity in social relationships, both on a micro (individual) and macro (communal) level. Training of this kind can provide historical context about the politics of identity and the dynamics of power and privilege or help build greater self-awareness.
- Healthcare professionals—getting up to speed on cultural differences is just a click away with Culture Vision’s subscriber-based web site which lists questions healthcare professionals can ask their patients. The program also acknowledges that while healthcare is a universal concept, different cultures vary in the ways in which health and illness are perceived and how care is given. By accessing the Culture Vision resource, doctors and other healthcare workers can better understand their unique patients needs, deliver quality care, and enhance treatment outcomes.
- Ask Me 3 is a solution-based initiative developed by the Partnership for Clear Health Communication to improve health communication between patients and providers. For more information or to download free materials online, visit www.askme3.org.
- The Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Medicine (REALM) is a screening instrument used to determine a patient’s literacy, or ability to read and pronounce common medical terminology and lay terms for body parts and illnesses. To receive a sample kit (instruction manual, laminated patient word lists, scoring sheets), write to: Terry C. Davis, Ph.D., LSU Medical Center, 1501 Kings Highway, Shreveport, LA 71130-3932. Email for updated price at tdavis2@lsuhsc.edu.
- The Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults (TOFHLA) is used to measure functional health literacy—both numbers and reading comprehension—using actual health-related materials such as prescription bottle labels and appointment slips. It is designed to assess adult literacy in the health care setting. For sample pages of the package and/or to purchase the package, visit www.peppercornbooks.com.
- Linguistically Appropriate Access and Services: An Evaluation and Review for Health Care Organizations from the National Council for Interpreting in Health Care.
- Diversity Training website with several training programs.
- Certification Training for Interpreters from Cross Cultural Heatlh Care Program (CCHCP).
Books
Useful Sites
Government Sources
- Maternal & Child Health Bureau
Phone: (301) 443-2460 - US Department of Health and Human Services Indian Health Services
Other Sites
- 2018 Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace Report
- GLSEN-Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network
- Gender Nation
- Personal Privilege Checklist
- The Cross Cultural Health Care Program
Language issues, training, interpretation. - Directory of Resources in Cultural Diversity and Cultural Competence
- The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation
- Kaiser Permanente National Linguistic & Cultural Programs
- Diversity Rx Home Page
- EthnoMed — Ethnic Medicine Guide
- Institute for Diversity in Health Management
- The National Alliance for Hispanic Health
- National Council on Interpreting in Health Care (NCIHC)
- National Asian Women’s Health Organization
- Office of Minority Health
Culture and Health Website provides tools, teaching modules, and concept papers. - Society for Medical Anthropology
Medical Anthropology Quarterly: International Journal for the Analysis of Health publishes research and theory in the field of medical anthropology. This field is broadly taken to include all inquiries into health, disease, illness, and sickness in human individuals and populations that are undertaken from the holistic and cross-cultural perspective distinctive of anthropology as a discipline. - Stanford Geriatric Education Center Cross-Cultural Geriatric Medicine
- Transcultural Nursing Society Home Page
- Chinese American Medical Society Home Page
- The Park Ridge Center for the Study of Health, Faith and Ethics
- Center for Cross-Cultural Health (CCCH)
- University of Michigan Health System Program for Multicultural Health
