Essay On Cultural Competency

Words: 385
Pages: 2

Cultural Competency is highly important and needed in a diverse health care environment.Treating everyone equally is important, but knowing about and respecting the cultural and linguistic differences is also very critical. When doctors or any other healthcare professionals understand and respect the differences of the patients that they are treating, the outcomes are almost always positive. Every healthcare organization, even if it is located in an area with a mostly non diverse population, should promote a multicultural environment. Moreover, every human being is bound to have some prejudices and preconceived opinions about a particular culture or group of people, but it is important to acknowledge these personal biases and not bring them …show more content…
For instance, when there is no interpreter present for a patient who speaks a different language, it can lead to a huge communication barrier between the patient and the healthcare professional (Bixby, 2009). The patient might not be able to address his or her issues in detail and with comfort, and that can lead to a treatment that might not be a hundred percent sufficient. Similarly, if healthcare professionals are scarcely aware of the cultural differences or do not consider them important while treating patients, some of the patients might not return for another appointment. For example, if a dietitian makes use of the universal dietary recommendation for every patient, it can prove insufficient and ineffective (Brannon, 2009). My father has Type 2 diabetes and he has very limited options as to what he can eat. His doctor recommended that he should eat healthy, but did not provide him with many healthy ethnic food options. My father rarely eats food from outside and prefers home cooked Pakistani food. He is taking as much dietary precaution as he can, but his diet has become repetitive and boring with the same beans, lentils, and salads. A dietary plan with healthy versions of his favorite ethnic food would prove more effective for him. Therefore, Cultural Competency is essential when working with diverse populations in health