Understanding Culturally Competent Care, For Better Skin Health
In both urban and rural areas, doctors and other practitioners encounter patients /clients from different cultural backgrounds and ethnicities. It is important that they have an understanding, acceptance, compassion and sensitivity for patients with different behaviors, beliefs, values, and skin tones. This is why culturally competent healthcare is so important.
What Exactly Is Culturally Competent Care
Cultural competence is typically defined as an organization or practitioner's ability to deliver effective services that meet the linguistic, cultural and social needs of their patients.
Cultural competence is something that is absolutely vital when it comes to effectively delivering high-quality healthcare, and without it, there will inevitably be poor patient outcomes and a lack of patient satisfaction.
The 4 Elements of Culturally Competent Care
Having a culturally competent mindset involves four key components:
Awareness – examination of one's beliefs and values relating to diversity to recognize stereotypes and prejudices that may create barriers.
Attitude – review of personal beliefs and values as they tend to cause us to have an emotional reaction when we collide with a cultural difference.
Knowledge – the more we know about those who are from different cultures, the more we’re able to avoid making mistakes.
Skills – it’s possible to have awareness, a positive attitude, and knowledge about cultural differences and still struggle to manage differences if we have had limited exposure and limited access to practice those skills.
Why Does Culturally Competent Care Matter
When healthcare organizations and practitioners are culturally competent they are able to meet all the linguistic, social and cultural needs of their patients. Unfortunately, data shows that disparities in health care and patient dissatisfaction are much more common among racial minorities. An AHRQ report revealed Hispanics, Asians and African Americans all receive worse care and have worse access when it comes to receiving care when compared to non-Hispanic white people.
Dermatology, Skin Care & Culturally Competent Care
As the dermatology and skincare market continues to see record growth, there is an increase in the number of women of color and a new generation of women who are seeking professional services, treatments, and advice. This growth brings both opportunities and challenges highlighting often overlooked gaps.
Dermatology
A 2019 study, published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology revealed individuals who receive care outside of a skin of color clinic would improve if dermatologists underwent residency training in skin of color and cultural competency, if more emphatic communication skills were developed, and if there were greater workforce diversity; key findings:
Participants valued dermatologists who listened to them, normalized the patient’s experience, involved them in decision-making and educated them about their skin condition.
Participants were critical when dermatologists did not perform a complete examination or avoided physical contact during the exam.
Dermatologists who showed experience in the care of disorders of black skin and hair were valued.
While attending a skin of color clinic, participants experienced increased comfort and confidence.
Participants believed a same race race practitioner would be most likely to understand their personal experience with black skin.
Participants expressed a sense of enlightenment as to the existence of biological and treatment differences between white skin and hair and that of other races.
Participants appreciated providers who were aware of medication costs and considered them when making treatment recommendations.
Participants believe dermatologists can improve interaction with their black patients by receiving training on black skin and hair, education on skills in interacting with black patients, and including more black patients in dermatology research.
Although the study was based on patient perceptions and not objective measures of clinical outcomes, it proves that an emphasis on culturally aware communication skills training is key in caring for all patients compassionately and equitably.
Skincare
Similar to the dermatology industry, the skincare or esthetic market faces similar challenges. While there are no scholarly research backed studies, many trade publications have reported an increase in the demand of practitioners that center skin concerns of women of color.
How Can Culturally Competent Care Be Achieved
There are several steps we can take to help us achieve culturally competent healthcare, here are just a few:
Hiring and promoting healthcare workers and administrative tech team members for various backgrounds.
Developing a strong system for patient and community feedback.
Gathering more information about preferences and needs from patients/clients.
Instituting a program which detects and identifies any medical errors that have occurred as a result of communication disparities and language barriers.
Monitoring ethnic and racial disparities using data and instituting initiatives to improve wherever required.
Collecting data about ethnicity, race and language preferences so care can be improved.
Healthcare workers and administrative team members need to be better informed about the various cultural factors that influence an individuals’ health behaviors and beliefs.
Moving Forward
If healthcare professionals and digital health/health tech employees at every level have the necessary training and tools they need to develop cultural competency, patients and clients will have better outcomes and feel better about their experiences.
If you want to join a community working to change healthcare, send us a note. We can’t wait to hear from you.
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References
Gorbatenko-Roth K, Prose N, Kundu RV, Patterson S. Assessment of black patients’ perception of their dermatology care [published online August 21, 2019]. JAMA Dermatol. doi:10.1001/jamadermatol.2019.2063
Taylor SC. Meeting the unique dermatologic needs of black patients [published online August 21, 2019]. JAMA Dermatol. doi:10.1001/jamadermatol.2019.1963
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). Cultural Competence and Patient Safety [published online December 27, 2019]
