The idea that one size fits all doesn’t work for the garment industry and it doesn’t work for health care either. The beauty and, perhaps the frustration, of being human is that we come in all shapes and sizes.

We’re all different

We weren’t all born in the same country. We aren’t all the same gender (that really would be weird and, quite frankly, detrimental to the human race). We are different ages, have different sexual orientations, and come from different socio-economic backgrounds. Our individual cultures make us who we are.

It’s important for care

Knowing a person’s culture is pretty key to being able to provide them with quality health care. Case in point, the search term “cultural gaffes in health care” brings up over 550,000 web results. The consequence of culturally incompetent care can range from social awkwardness to fatality.

But we all know that. The research on the matter is clear but more importantly it’s our own experience with our clients and patients in our hospitals and clinics that is convincing enough. We all have examples of when we’ve seen an improvement in patient trust, safety and compliance because we’ve taken their cultural realities into consideration when we’re doing our assessments and care planning. It’s good for the patient, and it’s good for staff too! (It has been shown to increase job satisfaction).

Our policy sets the tone

VCH Senior Executive recently signed off on the Culturally Competent and Responsive Policy. It’s not a specific-directive kind of policy but rather is a high-level, visionary policy that provides some general direction on how to address the issue. We have a diverse population. We need to make sure that our services are not one size fits all because that would just be weird. And, out of touch. And, a waste of money. But, more to the point, it’s just not a good way to provide care if we want to see the best outcomes for the people we serve.

What you can do

A policy is a good thing in terms of the organization taking a formal stance on the matter but, honestly, what’s really going to make the difference is you. As a start, check out the policy. It’s an easy read and will help you to get an understanding of your role in moving this forward. And, for further education and training, see the list of resources below. But, no doubt, each team is at a different place and might need something a bit more customized (fittingly, that’s the essence of the policy!). And sometimes it’s not about more staff training but rather about delivering services a bit differently. The Regional Population Health Team is happy to help your team figure out how to strengthen the cultural competency of your service in a way that makes sense for where your team is at.

Resources

There are a lot of education resources on cultural competency on different topics and in different formats. A lot! The following are just a few examples to give you a sense of what is out there. Please contact us at vchpopulationhealth@vch.ca to explore what might work best for your team:

• The Importance of Cultural Proficiency in Providing Effective Care for Diverse Populations – this is a short, and really clear position paper by the American Academy of Family Physicians on the rationale and standards for cultural competency in the provision of health care.
• Embracing Cultural Diversity in Health Care: Developing Cultural Competence – includes best cultural competence practices; guidelines; and recommendations that health care professionals in all roles can use to embed work environments with a culture that moves all team members to understand and embrace diversity.
• Achieving Cultural Competence: A Diversity Toolkit – although not health care specific, this toolkit is full of information that any department in VCH could use, including sections on common misconceptions about diversity issues; the legal framework for diversity, and an organizational self-assessment tool.
• Quality Interactions: Cultural Competency – from an acute care perspective, a short summary of how cultural competency reduces medical errors and costs.
• Improving Quality and Achieving Equity: A Guide for Hospital Leaders – although just focused on ethnicity and race, this guide still provides great information on model practices, evidence, and action for the acute care sector.
• A Review of Clinical Cultural Competence – prepared for the General Psychiatry Program and the Culture, Community and Health Program at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, this comprehensive review includes key definitions, standards, and selected trainings.

VCH resources:

• Gender 101 – a web page developed by the VCH Transgender Health Information Program to provide key definitions to help you to understand the differences between sex and gender; gender identity and gender expression; and trans identity and sexual orientation.
• Aboriginal Cultural Competency — the VCH Aboriginal Health Strategic Initiatives Team can help to build your team’s capacity to work with First Nations and Aboriginal clients and communities by supporting staff, advising on culturally inclusive environments and policies, and getting you connected to the PHSA Indigenous Cultural Competency online course. Contact: Contact: aboriginalhealthservices@vch.ca
• LGBT2Q+ Workshops – increase your skills and knowledge on inclusion, diversity and promoting health and wellness for the LGBT2Q+ communities though workshops and training offered by the VCH Prism Team. Contact: prism@vch.ca
• Health Equity Assessment – cultural competency is based on the principle of equity and respect for the diversity of the individuals and communities we serve. Factors such as gender, race, sexual orientation, immigration status, income and education can influence a person’s access to timely, appropriate and quality care. The VCH Regional Population Health Team can work with your team to do an assessment to identify access barriers and to analyze the impact of an existing or planned-for service, program, or policy on health disparities and disadvantaged populations. Contact: vchpopulationhealth@vch.ca.