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Cultural Responsiveness

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Resources

Publications

1. National Standards for Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services in Health Care -There are laws that require health care professionals who give primary care to persons of limited English proficiency to provide adequate culturally and linguistically appropriate health care services. The Office of Minority Health published CLAS because of the lack of clear standards for organizations to effectively administer culturally and linguistically appropriate health care services.

2. Quick Guide to Health Literacy and Older Adults - The number of older Americans continues to grow, this population will have an increasing need for health care services. This makes health literacy for older adults a critical issue. This guide provides suggestions for better communication between health professionals and older Americans to improve health literacy for older Americans.

3. Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH) - Racial and ethnic disparities in health care still plague our minority populations. To combat this issue, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention designed the REACH program to award grants to health professionals, researchers, and community-based programs that are working to eliminate minority health disparities.

4. Setting the Agenda for Research on Cultural Competence in Health Care - Studies have shown that the lack of cultural competence in health care can harm the health of persons of limited English proficiency. This research document further investigates the outcome of health for people with English limitations.

5. Cultural Competence Health Practitioner Assessment (CCHPA) (Copyright © National Center for Cultural Competence) - As the immigrant population continues to rise in the United States, it will be important that health professionals are culturally competent when working with non-native born individuals. This site provides health professionals with an assessment of their cultural competency in health care.

6. Cultural Competence: It All Starts at the Front Desk (Copyright © National Center for Cultural Competence) - Although cultural competency is very important for primary care providers that are in contact with patients, cultural competency is also very important for office staff, such as administrative assistants that make the office appointments and insurance officers who explain insurance matters to patients. This publication can be used among physicians and their staff to discuss cultural competency. (PDF file, 100 Kb)

7. Cultural Competency in Medicine (Copyright © AMSA) - To get a full picture of someone’s health, professionals need to consider not just physical factors, but cultural factors as well. This publication suggests ways in which physicians-in-training can become culturally competent.

8. Cultural Competence Practice and Training: Overview (Copyright © DiversityRx) - Awareness of cultural beliefs and practices can be valuable for health professionals and patients. This publication provides an overview of cultural competence issues for health professionals to consider when encountering patients.

9. A Physician’s Practical Guide to Culturally Competent Care -As the immigrant population grows, physician services will be needed for these populations. This guide is provided by the Office of Minority Health as a resource to health professionals with cultural competency in their offices.

10. Promising Practices (Copyright © National Center for Cultural Competence) - This web site highlights outstanding practices developed to solve problems in health care. These promising practices can be used as models for solutions to other issues in health care. Included are promising practices that have been developed to combat cultural incompetence in the health field. Health professionals battling with cultural incompetence within their organization can use some of these examples for ways to help.

11. Promoting Cultural and Linguistic Competency: Self-Assessment Checklist for Personnel Providing Primary Health Care Services (Copyright © National Center for Cultural Competence) - Health professionals who encounter individuals that are not native born or who have limited English proficiency should be aware of ways in which quality health services can be provided regardless of limitations. This checklist is for health professionals so that they are aware of different cultural and linguistic challenges that may occur in their health facility.

12. Working with Linguistically Diverse Populations (Copyright © NCCC) - Some health professionals may practice in areas where there are not many linguistic services for patients with limited English proficiency. This publication gives resources for patients and health providers to access language services in their area.

Organizations

1. The Center for Linguistic and Cultural Competency in Health Care

2. Office of Minority Health and Health Disparities, CDC, HHS

3. Office of Minority Health, HRSA, HHS

4.  Indian Health Service, HHS

5. National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, NIH

6. CultureMed (Copyright © SUNY Institute of Technology)

7. DiversityRx

8. Minority Health (Copyright © The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation)

9. Think Cultural Health

10. Association of Clinicians to the Underserved

11. Intercultural Cancer Council

12. National Asian Women's Health Organization (NAWHO)

13. National Center for Cultural Competence

14. National Council on Interpreting in Health Care

15. Stanford Geriatric Education Center

16. The Access Project

17. The Center for Cross-Cultural Health

18. The Cross Cultural Health Care Program

= Indicates Federal Resources

Content last updated December 1, 2008.