Integrating a Health Disparities and Cross-Cultural Communication Curriculum

• In Event: 34.095 - MTCC Roundtable Session 11
  In Roundtable Session: 34.095-4 - Continued Efforts to Diversify the Health Professions: From Educational Pipelines to Professional Practice

Abstract

Healthcare professionals traditionally lack training in health disparities and cross-cultural communication. This case study describes a unique partnership between a federally qualified healthcare center in urban Phoenix, AZ and an academic institution to develop a novel, inter-professional program for healthcare professionals, training them in the various aspects of healthcare delivery science.

Case Study:
The State University’s Health Solutions Executive Education, within the College of Health Solutions, partnered with a large healthcare center in the Phoenix metropolitan area to develop a leadership and professional development program for their front-line and back-office managers and administrators in various aspects of healthcare delivery. The program ran over 6 months and the cohort met in person 1-2 times per month for 2.5 hours. Along with the in-person meetings, online learning modules were added to augment the learning experience and reinforce the in-person meetings. Sessions were interactive, case-based and included Action Learning Projects as a capstone experience for the cohort. Session topics ranged from Healthcare Leadership, Strategic-Decision Making, Interpersonal and Cross-Cultural Communication to Health Disparities, Patient Experience and Leadership.

Results:
A total of 20 participants enrolled in the program. Session surveys (using a 5-point Likert Scale) were obtained after each session and online module to assess the participant’s learning and effectiveness of the instruction and content delivery. Average Likert scores were 4.85 for session evaluations. Pre-course and post-course assessments were also performed to assess the participant’s knowledge and application of the concepts included in the course. Pre-course scores (5-point Likert Scale) were 2.67 and post-course scores were 4.88. Qualitative narratives were also captured from participants demonstrating perceived efficacy of the program.

Implications:
More training programs similar to this example are necessary to educate the healthcare workforce on concepts including health disparities, cross-cultural communication and cultural responsiveness. This novel, inter-professional program is one example of such a program. With an aging, diverse patient population, healthcare professionals need increased opportunities for education on addressing health disparities and developing stronger skills in cross-cultural communication and cultural humility.

Author

• Kristen Will