Human Diversity RTEC A Spring 2009

What is Human Diversity? 1. Is also known as cultural diversity. 2. It means the inherent differences among people. 3. It addresses the entirety of the ways people are different and alike.

Characteristics of Human Diversity  Age  Disability  Economic status  Education  Geographic location  Organizational level  Political affiliation  Sexual orientation  Ethnicity  Family status  First language  Gender  Lifestyle  Physical characteristics  Religion  Work style or ethic

Globalization People go to other countries for: Work School Medical care Visit / Vacation Live / Relocate Refuge / Safety

Globalization’s Effect  Nation, societies and businesses have become multicultural or cross cultural  Strategies must be employed to understand cultural differences and to mediate conflicts  A concerted effort toward cultural competency

Cultural Competency leads to more satisfied patients  Cultural Competency means: possessing a set of attitudes, behaviors, and policies that come together in a system or among individuals that enable effective interactions in a cross- cultural framework.

Personal Bias  Everyone has at least one personal bias.  Cultural bias is when someone is biased due to his or her culture. Culture play a major role in how individuals perceive others.  What is one personal bias YOU have?

Age  For example: Some cultures assign different values based on age. Asian culture vs European & Western cultures

Baby boom generation  Are expected to stay in the workforce longer because they are expected to live longer than previous generations. America is expected to transform many areas, including health care, labor, politics, retirement systems, and social services. This expectation forces an overview and overhaul of social mores and prejudices regarding older adults in the job market to their end-of-life care. AARP

Ethnicity, National Origin, & Race  Ethnicity relates to a person's distinctive racial, national, religious, linguistic, or cultural heritage.  The United States has long considered itself a melting pot of people with diverse ethnic heritages

Trends in the U.S.  The census addresses trends in growth, projecting that the U.S. Hispanic population will grow at a faster rate than all other minority groups. Further projections include data suggesting that the current majority ethnic group will lose that designation within the current century because of the combined growth among the now minority groups and immigrants.

Ethnocentrism  Ethnocentrism is regarded as the tendency of some individuals to view norms and values of their own culture as the only acceptable ones and to use them as the standard by which all other cultures are measured  Ethnocentrism is not effective when providing patient care

Racism  Racism is the belief that one race or culture is superior to others and using this belief to discriminate against races they consider inferior

Medical Imaging and Quality Health Care – Informed Consent  One of the major concerns related to cultural diversity is linguistic differences.  A patient cannot be truly informed if he or she does not understand what is trying to be communicated to them

Overcome linguistic barriers to quality health care by:  Hiring additional bilingual and bicultural staff  Providing medical interpreters  Providing translators  Encouraging employees to become bilingual or multilingual  Providing medical documents (e.g., consent forms) in different languages

Gender Or Sexual Orientation  Many people are predisposed in their thinking as to what boys should do and what little girls should do. e.g., pink for girls, blue for boys  Sexual orientation is another area of diversity often found under the topic of gender

Mental or Physical Disability  Mental or physical ability is the capacity to perform cognitive and psychomotor tasks with average ability  Those with disabilities have been shunned Seen as objects or assistance, protection and treatment  600 million or 10% of the world have some form of disability

Embracing Diversity  Living and working in a diverse society is challenging.  Civility and respect for others is expected as health care providers.  This respect comes from individuals and begins with first learning about other cultures

Elements of Cultural Competency  Valuing Diversity  Possessing the capacity for cultural self assessment  Having a consciousness of the dynamics of cross cultural interaction  Institutionalizing cultural knowledge  Developing adaptations of service based on an understanding of multiculturalism

Four Core Values of Human Rights  Autonomy  Dignity  Equality  Solidarity

Empathetic Practices  Communication- Making quick powerful connections with patients.  Assessment and communication - gathering culturally relevant information  Negotiating-working with patients to form strategies that meet their individual needs, the needs of the provider, and the needs of the medical facility or practice

The application of empathy skills by health care providers:  Promotes better health care outcomes overall  Increases patient satisfaction  Decreases health care costs  Decreases provider liability

Cultural Competency  Becoming culturally competent is no easy task, but it is an essential one  Health care providers must learn to value human diversity and to become culturally competent