2. What we need to consider
◦ Demographics (refugees and low socio economic
migrants in western sydney)
◦ Disparities in Health Status
◦ Health Practices and Beliefs
◦ Barriers to Health Care
3. ◦ Culture informs our identity
◦ Culture affects the roles played within a family, ethnic
group and community
◦ Culture defines family relationships, family structure,
attitudes, beliefs, practices and styles of
communication
◦ It also impact on our health practices and choices: for
example: use of complementary medicine, attitudes
towards vaccinations, dress and food preferences,
attitudes toward women, etc
◦ However Culture is not he only or the most important
determinant of health: think of the 3 factors:
demographics, environment and culture
4. It reflects the ability to acquire and use knowledge
of health care related beliefs, attitudes, practices
and communication patterns of clients and their
families to improve services, strengthen programs,
increase community participation and close the
gaps in health status among diverse population
groups.
5. Cultural competency is not static – you don’t
really become but constantly becoming
Fluid
Culture as constantly being negotiated
Multiple cultural identities
No single formula but emphasis on processes and
skills we use to negotiate interactions
Cultures in negotiation _ cultural self-awareness
6. Cultural Competence is a set of values,
behaviors, attitudes and practices within a
system, organization, or among individuals that
enables them to work effectively across cultures.
cultural competence focuses on the capacity of
the health worker to improve health status by
integrating culture into the clinical context.
the point of cultural competence is to maximise
gains from a health intervention where the
parties are from different cultures
7. Multicultural policy in NSW is administered by the Community Relations
Commission (CRC) for a multicultural NSW and is based on 4 principles of
multiculturalism.
Principles of Multiculturalism require that each public
authority respect and accommodate the culture,
language and religion of all individuals.
Cultural diversity is defined as : people from a range of
cultural, ethnic, linguistic and religious background
7
8. • “The healthy migrant effect”: Initial migrant health
advantage often deteriorates over time as diet and
exercise patterns change
• Limited research into immigrant health in Australia
invisibility can undermine equity in healthcare provision
• Immigrants face additional language and/or cultural
barriers not experienced by Australian-born patients
• Poor engagement of older migrants to health system
undermines self-management of chronic conditions:
effective communication is crucial to effective care
9. • Humanitarian immigrants (refugees) are known
to have poorer health than other immigrants
(Khoo 2010)
• Vitamin D deficiency common in newly arrived
refugee children- consider rickets (Sheikh et al, 2011)
• Afghanis may need written information in Dari
and Pashtu, as well as interpreters (Omeri et al, 2006)
• Ask Horn of Africa refugees about prior use of
qaat (e.g. addictive - illegal in Aust.) (Bruce-Chwatt
(2010)
10. • inadequate vaccinations, nutritional deficiencies
(vitamin D and iron) and dental disease
• infectious diseases (gastrointestinal
infections,schistosomiasis, and latent
tuberculosis)
• musculoskeletal, social and psychological
problems e.g. PTSD, anxiety, depression
11. “I do not understand the health care system in
Australia. I have to rely on family and friends …”
“It is difficult to find a service that provides an
interpreter …”
“Because of my religion, I prefer to see a
female doctor … especially for reproductive issues”
(Omeri et al, 2006)
13. Interpreters
Bilingual health workers
Culturally appropriate food
Non denominational quiet rooms
Translated health information
Cultural competence training
Signage
13
15. 15
Understand the importance of culture
Recognise the dynamics of cultural differences
Build cultural knowledge
Adapt services to meet cultural needs
16. 16
• Language
Differences
• Culture
• Non verbal
communication
• Stereotyping
• Discrimination
• Stress
• Organisational
constraints
• The human
factor
• Resistance to
change
18. The Culture of Western Medicine
◦ Meliorism – make it better
◦ Dominance over nature – take control
◦ Activism – do something
◦ Timeliness – sooner than later
◦ Therapeutic aggressiveness – stronger=better
◦ Future orientation – plan, newer=better
◦ Standardization – treat similar the same
19. “Ours”
◦ Make it Better
◦ Control Over Nature
◦ Do Something
◦ Intervene Now
◦ Strong Measures
◦ Plan Ahead – Recent is
Best
◦ Standardize – Treat
Everyone the Same
“Others”
◦ Accept With Grace
◦ Balance/Harmony with
Nature
◦ Wait and See
◦ Cautious Deliberation
◦ Gentle Approach
◦ Take Life As It Comes –
“Time Honored”
◦ Individualize – Recognize
Differences
20. The Cultural Competence Continuum
◦ Where Am I Now?
◦ Where Could I Be?
21.
22. Cultural Competence Definitions
◦ Cultural Destructiveness: forced assimilation,
subjugation, rights and privileges for dominant groups
only
◦ Cultural Incapacity: racism, maintain stereotypes, unfair
hiring practices
◦ Cultural Blindness: differences ignored, “treat everyone
the same”, only meet needs of dominant groups
23. Cultural Competence Definitions
Cultural Pre-competence: explore cultural issues, are
committed, assess needs of organization and
individuals
Cultural Competence: recognize individual and cultural
differences, seek advice from diverse groups, hire
culturally unbiased staff
Cultural proficiency: implement changes to improve
services based upon cultural needs, do research and
teach
24. Acquiring Cultural Competence
◦ Starts with Awareness
◦ Grows with Knowledge
◦ Enhanced with Specific Skills
◦ Polished through Cross-Cultural Encounters
25. Culturally sensitive approach to asking inquiring
about a health problem
◦ What do you call your problem?
◦ What do you think caused your problem?
◦ Why do you think it started when it did?
◦ What does your sickness do to you? How does it
work?
◦ How severe is it? How long do you think you will have
it?
(continued next page)
26. Culturally sensitive approach to asking
about a health problem
◦ What do you fear most about your illness?
◦ What are the chief problems your sickness has caused
you?
◦ Anyone else with the same problem?
◦ What have you done so far to treat your illness: What
treatments do you think you should receive? What
important results do you hope to receive from the
treatment?
◦ Who else can help you?
27. Listen to the patient’s perception of the problem
Explain your perception of the problem
Acknowledge and discuss differences/similarities
Recommend treatment
Negotiate treatment
28. Pre interview sessionPre interview session
Brief the interpreter about the session
Obtain cultural background information from the interpreter
Establish mode of interpreting
During the interviewDuring the interview
Introduce everyone and establish roles
Establish ground rules – speaking THROUGH the interpreter TO the
client
Maintain eye contact with the client, if culturally appropriate
Speak slowly and clearly
Summarize your discussion periodically throughout the interview
With consecutive interpreting, use short sentences
Post interview sessionPost interview session
De-brief the interpreter
28
29. Use simple, plain English
Avoid jargon
Don’t use slang or verbal jokes
Speak slowly, but do not shout or raise your
voice
Be concise and clear
Give instructions in a clear, logical sequence
Ensure you have been understood
Reinforce what you say
Reduce the stress
Be aware of your language all the time
29
30. Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census data 2006
ECC NSW, COPS NSW & DADHC (2006) Cultural
Competency & Case Management Training Package
Multicultural skills for health staff, Cultural diversity training
unit, University of Sydney, 1998
Cross cultural workshop, Macarthur health service
Centre for culture, ethnicity & health www.ceh.org.au
Multicultural awareness, Corporate orientation program,
SSWAHS
Cultural competence, Facility orientation program, Fairfield
Hospital
Sockalingum adapted from Hayes, Cultural Competence
Continuum, 1993 and Terry Cross Cultural Competency
Continuum
30
Notas do Editor
I was the author of 3 major projects looking at cultural competence : East meets West: Exploring cultural diversity in the BM: Some of the main points coming from this report include The importance of adopting approaches to diversity and the health needs of CALD people as complex interactions between communication (how we communicate to each other – gaps in understanding), culture (what system of values and norms is transmitted in the interaction); structures (what is available and how it operates) , socio-economic (levels of disadvantage , ability to access resources) and personal issues (often linked to all of the above: ability to negotiate, sense of emporwerment, sense of entitlement, health literacy levels) The emphasis and recognition of the complexity inherent in any dicsussions of culture and cultural competence allows us to move away from previosu approaches to cultural diversity which emphasized THE OTHER as the problem. Me have move beyond the idea that for instance to increase service utilisation by migrants and refugee communities we need to work with them so they can be BETTER EDUCATED, BETTER COMMUNICATORS, MORE RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR SELF-CARE, MORE INVOLVED IN SERVICES – from this perspective of them as the target of our efforts to improve service use and health outcomes we have moved to a greater awareness and acknowledgment and apprecaition of cultural diversity including our own cultural values and the manistream values and norms informaing health, social and other institutions in Australia. My presentation today utlises this model of approaching cultural competence in such a way that it involucrates us the service providers as much as them the service users.
Cultures in negotiation: We have for example Schools culture: Introduction of new technologies changes or forces a negotiation of how things are done at school – we change the school culture Youth culture: Civil society and the internet: it is being argued that social networking is changing youth culture: It centers around different practices, different language and values Seniors culture: We have seen dramatci changes on ageing and cultural values associated with later life: greater expectations of living longer healthier and productive lives than 30 years ago; the way elderly people construct their identities, the baby boomers – these are cultural transformations that are taking place in Australian society and around the world. Often when we think about cultural competence we tend to narrow it to a very limited understanding around skills needed to communicate with a very specific target group: people from culturally and Linguistically diverse backgrounds. We forget we need to be culturally competent to communicate with youth, older people, children, and even to understand ourselves: many of our aspirations, fears and dreams and motivations are culturally informed: the value we place in buying certain things or achieving certain jobs, or religious experiences – it doesnot happen in a vaccium but responds to the cultural mileu we inhabit. Cultures in negotiation also refers to an awareness of what we are bringing to the table when we engage in an interaction with aonther person becoming aware of our own cultural identity facilitates our capacity to: Explore, understand, acknowledge, and value our cultural and social background regarding 'race,' ethnicity, social class, gender, regionality, sexual orientation, exceptionality, age, religion/spirituality, language, and dialect. Increase our awareness and insight into our own learning processes, strengths, weaknesses, successes, failures, biases, values, goals, and emotions. Experience our own cultures in relation to others as they are illuminated during cross-cultural interactions. Understand and respond to areas of conflict and tension when we encounter individuals from unfamiliar cultures or experiences, and learn to be more comfortable with being uncomfortable. Explore and appreciate thought processes that occur across cultures but may also take on different shapes and meanings for different cultural groups and for individual group members. Understand and respect more deeply the cultural values and beliefs of those with whom we come in contact
In a previous lecture I believe you discuss some of the legislative frameworks in Australia and NSW that account for policies such as Multicultural Policy : I won’t go into that but you are aware that public institutions and services are required by law to implement programs to ensure access and equity for CALD as well as indigenous communities.
Language differences: not only that person can’t speak the dominant language but also refers to differences in dialects, the effect of jargon & idioms, whether or not the person can read or write in their first language. Culture; Determines our expectations of how things will happen, what is considered polite or rude, what is understood without saying a word. It is not only ethnicity but relates to gender, class, education and environmental factors. Non verbal communication: Gestures, expressions and body language can easily be misinterpreted eg avoid eye contact as a sign of respect Stereotyping: Over generalisation or boxing the communnities together Discrimination: judging someone’s behaviour based on inadequate information Stress: is heightened by the presence of anxiety, pain, illness and other barriers of communication Organisational constraints: Bureaucratic systems usually makes communication difficult for both professionals and clients eg complex forms The human factor: Individuals with distinct personalities which in itself may cause communication difficulties Resistance to change: ability to be flexible, to change styles or practices to gain effective outcome
Use simple plain English: eg start and finish rather than commence or terminate. No pidgin English Avoid using idioms: eg fed up, start from scratch etc Give instructions in a clear, logical sequence: eg First rinse the bottle then sterilise it rather than don’t sterilise the bottle until you have rinsed it or befor you sterilise the bottle rinse it. Repeat if you’re not understood. Don’t assume anything. Reinforce what you say: use non verbal communication to reinforce what you say, draw diagrams or use pictures Reduce the stress: Create a pleasant, unstressed atmosphere with a non authoritarian, relaxed friendly approach.