Racial and cultural minority experiences and perceptions of health care provision in a mid-western region

The patient perspective on diversity-sensitive care: a systematic review

BACKGROUND

The provision of diversity-sensitive care is a promising approach towards reducing health disparities. Recent criticism and a scientific gap demonstrate the need for the patient perspective on diversity-sensitive care. This systematic review aims to describe the patient perspective, including patient experiences, expectations, and satisfaction with diversity-sensitive care provided by healthcare providers.

METHODS

In December 2022 the Medline ALL, Embase, Web of Science Core Collection, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, CINAHL, PsycINFO and additionally Google Scholar were searched for original studies that described or measured patient expectations, experiences, and/or satisfaction, specifically focusing on cultural or diversity competence of healthcare providers. Analysis of the collected data was performed using a convergent mixed-methods design based on thematic synthesis.

RESULTS

From initially 5,387 articles, 117 were selected for full-text screening, and ultimately, 34 articles were included in this study. The concept of diversity-sensitive care was observed to comprise three components. The first component is focused on patient-centered care and includes competencies such as clear and direct communication, shared decision-making, individualized care, empathy, and consideration. The second component centers on providing culturally tailored information, adjusting care to cultural needs, working with interpreters, allyship, community partnerships, self-awareness, and cultural knowledge, and builds upon the first component. Across the first two components of diversity-sensitive care, patients have reported experiencing dissatisfaction and encountering shortcomings in their healthcare providers, sometimes resulting in the third and final component pertaining to provider care. This component underscores the importance of linguistic, ethnic, cultural, and gender concordance in delivering quality care.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, the patient perspective on diversity-sensitive care encompasses multiple components, from patient-centered care to concordant care. The components incorporate various competencies as communication skills, empathy, self-awareness and adjusting care to cultural needs. Patients reported experiencing dissatisfaction and shortcomings across all components of diversity-sensitive care provided by healthcare providers.

Estimating implicit and explicit racial and ethnic bias among community pharmacists in Canada

Background

Bias, whether implicit (unconscious) or explicit (conscious), can lead to preferential treatment of specific social groups and antipathy towards others. When healthcare professionals (HCPs), including pharmacists, act on these biases, patient care and health outcomes can be adversely affected. This study aims to estimate implicit and explicit racial/ethnic bias towards Black and Arab people among community pharmacists in Ontario, Canada.

Methods

Community pharmacists participated in a secure, web-based survey using a cross-sectional design that included Harvard's Race and Arab Implicit Association Tests (IATs) to examine bias towards Black and Arab people. Explicit (stated) preferences were measured by self-report. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics.

Results

The study surveyed 407 community pharmacists, 56.1 % of whom were women with an average age of 46.9. Implicit Association Test (IAT) results showed a statistically significant moderate preference for white people over both Black (mean IAT = 0.41) and Arab people (mean IAT = 0.35). However, most pharmacists explicitly stated that they had no racial/ethnic preference, with 75.7 % expressing a neutral preference between Black and white and 66.6 % neutral between Arab and white. However, a slight preference for white individuals was observed. Demographic factors such as age, place of birth, race/ethnicity, and experience significantly impacted IAT scores. For example, older, Canadian-born, white pharmacists with more experience displayed higher implicit bias scores. A mild correlation was found between implicit and explicit bias, indicating as implicit bias increases, explicit bias tends to become more negative.

Conclusions

This study is the first to explore the issue of pharmacist bias in Canada and concentrate on anti-Arab bias. Our findings reveal that Ontario community pharmacists tend to have an unconscious inclination towards white people, which calls for further understanding of this matter. Additionally, we discovered a moderate degree of anti-Arab bias, indicating that studies on other HCPs should consider bias against this social group. Educational interventions are needed to address the implicit biases among community pharmacists in Ontario, Canada. These findings should aim to raise self-awareness of biases, educate about the potential implications of these biases on patient care, and provide strategies to reduce bias.

Perceptions of Racial-Ethnic Inequities in COVID-19 Healthcare and Willingness to Receive the COVID-19 Vaccine

BACKGROUND

Perceptions of the US healthcare system can impact individuals' healthcare utilization, including vaccination intentions. This study examined the association between perceived racial-ethnic inequities in COVID-19 healthcare and willingness to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

METHODS

This study used data from REACH-US, a nationally representative online survey of a large, diverse sample of U.S. adults (N=5145 January 26, 2021-March 3, 2021). Confirmatory factor and regression analyses examined a latent factor of perceived racial-ethnic inequities in COVID-19 healthcare, whether the factor was associated with willingness to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, and whether associations varied across racial-ethnic groups reported as probit estimates (B) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

RESULTS

Perceived racial-ethnic inequities in COVID-19 healthcare were highest among Black/African American adults (mean latent factor score: 0.65 ± 0.43) and lowest among White adults (mean latent factor score: 0.04 ± 0.67). Black/African American (B = -0.08; 95% CI = -0.19, 0.03) and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (B = -0.08; 95% CI = -0.23, 0.07) adults who perceived greater racial-ethnic inequities in COVID-19 healthcare were less willing than participants who perceived lower inequities. In contrast, American Indian/Alaska Native (B = 0.15; 95% CI = -0.01, 0.30), Asian (B = 0.20; 95% CI = 0.08, 0.31), Hispanic/Latino (English language preference) (B = 0.22; 95% CI = 0.01, 0.43), Multiracial (B = 0.23; 95% CI = 0.09, 0.36), and White (B = 0.31; 95% CI = 0.19, 0.43) adults who perceived greater racial-ethnic inequities in COVID-19 healthcare were more willing to receive the COVID-19 vaccine than participants perceiving higher inequities.

CONCLUSIONS

Greater perceived racial-ethnic inequities in COVID-19 healthcare were associated with less willingness to receive the COVID-19 vaccine among Black/African American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander adults.

Genetic counseling processes and strategies for racially and ethnically diverse populations: A systematic review

Genetic counseling outcomes are influenced by the processes and strategies used by counselors, yet little is known about how these strategies directly impact patients and populations. In particular, tailoring genetic counseling consultations to best meet the needs of cultural, racial, and ethnically diverse populations has been explored. This review aims to identify genetic counseling strategies tailored for a diversity of racial and ethnic populations with the goal to find ways to improve genetic counseling outcomes. Medline, Cochrane CENTRAL, Embase, PsychInfo, and CINAHL databases were searched for original research articles published in English that employed genetic counseling processes and strategies to improve genetic counseling outcomes, specifically for participants from ethnically or racially diverse populations. A review of 5300 titles and abstracts resulted in the identification of 36 articles that met the inclusion criteria. Three themes emerged: (1) community involvement in culturally tailoring genetic counseling, (2) creation and use of culturally tailored resources, and (3) modifications to the genetic counseling process. The effectiveness of genetic counseling strategies could not be evaluated due to lack of consistent outcome measures in the articles. The involvement of diverse ethnic and racial populations in developing inclusive genetic counseling tools and practices will help the profession provide better patient care in the future. More research connecting genetic counseling processes and outcomes will help to assess how well these modified approaches meet the needs of diverse populations.

Culturally Responsive Care Delivery in Oncology: The Example of Multiple Myeloma

Multiple myeloma (MM) represents ∼1% of all cancers and is the second most common hematologic malignancy worldwide. The incidence of MM is at least two times higher in Blacks/African Americans compared with their White counterparts, and Hispanics/Latinxs are among the youngest patients diagnosed with the disease. Recent advances in available treatments for MM have demonstrated significant improvement in survival outcomes; however, patients from non-White racial/ethnic groups clinically benefit less due to multiple factors including access to care, socioeconomic status, medical mistrust, underutilization of novel therapies, and exclusion from clinical trials. Health inequities in disease characteristics and risk factors based on race also contribute to inequities in outcomes. In this review, we highlight racial/ethnic factors as well as structural barriers attributed to variations in MM epidemiology and management. We focus on three populations-Black/African American, Hispanic/Latinx, and American Indian/Alaska Native-and review factors that healthcare professionals may consider when treating patients of color. We offer tangible advice for healthcare professionals on how to incorporate cultural humility into their practice by following the five key steps: establishing trust, respecting cultural diversity, undergoing cross-cultural training, counseling patients on appropriate available clinical trial options, and connecting patients to community resources. The outlined recommendations will help the medical community to better understand and apply the important concept of cultural humility into their practice to provide the best care for all their patients, regardless of race/ethnicity.

The influence of sociodemographic factors on COVID-19 vaccine certificate acceptance: A cross-sectional study

Vaccine certificates have been implemented worldwide, aiming to promote vaccination rates and to reduce the spread of COVID-19. However, their use during the COVID-19 pandemic was controversial and has been criticized for infringing upon medical autonomy and individual rights. We administered a national online survey exploring social and demographic factors predicting the degree of public approval of vaccine certificates in Canada. We conducted a multivariate linear regression which revealed which factors were predictive of vaccine certificate acceptance in Canada. Self-reported minority status (p < .001), rurality (p < .001), political ideology (p < .001), age (p < .001), having children under 18 in the household (p < .001), education (p = .014), and income status (p = .034) were significant predictors of attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccine certificates. We observed the lowest vaccine-certificate approval among participants who: self-identify as a visible minority; live in rural areas; are politically conservative; are 18-34 years of age; have children under age 18 living in the household; have completed an apprenticeship or trades education; and those with an annual income between $100,000-$159,999. The present findings are valuable for their ability to inform the implementation of vaccine certificates during future pandemic scenarios which may require targeted communication between public health agencies and under-vaccinated populations.

Factors Associated with Bothersome Symptoms in Individuals With and Without HIV Who Report Alcohol Use

Bothersome symptoms potentially related to drinking are commonly reported by people with and without HIV (PWH/PWoH). However, the relationship between bothersome symptoms and level of alcohol use is often not appreciated by patients or providers. Therefore, among persons reporting prior-year alcohol use, we assessed whether alcohol use level (AUDIT-C score), HIV status, and demographic covariates influenced the likelihood of the patient reporting a bothersome symptom. We used the Veterans Aging Cohort Study (VACS) surveys (2002-2018), including a validated symptoms index. Among 3679 PWH and 3830 PWoH currently drinking alcohol, the most commonly reported symptoms were muscle/joint pain (52%), sleep disturbance (51%), and fatigue (50%). Level of alcohol use was independently associated with 18 of 20 bothersome symptoms, including seven symptoms more common among PWH. Results can help inform PWH/PWoH who drink alcohol about the strong relationship between level of alcohol use and bothersome symptoms, potentially motivating reduced use.

Checking the Pulse of Holistic and Culturally Competent Nursing Practice in Pennsylvania

Traditionally, underrepresented racial and ethnic groups experience marginalization, leading to inequities and disparities in health and health care. A holistic approach to care delivery can help providers meet a culturally diverse patient population's unique healing needs. A systematic assessment of nurses' cultural competency practice was conducted in Pennsylvania to reveal opportunities and provide direction for holistic, culturally competent health care services. This exploratory cross-sectional descriptive study used the Cultural Competence Education and Awareness Survey (CCEAS) to examine cultural competence practices of registered nurses employed in the state of Pennsylvania. A total of 1246 registered nurses completed the survey. Respondents expressed a strong desire for cultural competency. Education and organizational infrastructure to facilitate cultural competency could be improved. Health care leaders and policy makers at all levels should explore opportunities to strengthen nurses' culturally competent practices through ongoing professional-development activities and enhanced organizational infrastructure.

Investigating preceptor experiences with cultural intelligence in pharmacy education

BACKGROUND

A culturally intelligent pharmacy workforce is critical for addressing health disparities and ensuring that healthcare teams are equipped to support the medication needs of patients. Despite the critical role of preceptors in developing aspiring pharmacists, little is known about how they create or manage cross-cultural situations for students.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to explore preceptor experiences teaching cultural intelligence within experiential pharmacy settings.

METHODS

A convergent parallel mixed methods approach was used with a 10-item survey measuring preceptor teaching self-efficacy (measured from 0-cannot do at all to 10-highly certain can do) and interviews/focus groups to further understand cultural intelligence teaching experiences. Data were analyzed according to the 4 domains of the cultural intelligence framework (i.e., cultural awareness, cultural knowledge, cultural practice, and cultural desire). Survey data were analyzed descriptively and qualitative data were analyzed deductively.

RESULTS

Participants (n = 24) were most confident Discussing factors underlying health and healthcare disparities (e.g., access, socioeconomic status, environment, racial/ethnic) (7.54 ± 2.04) and least confident in Understanding the importance of cultural desire in teaching students to be culturally intelligent healthcare practitioners (5.21 ± 2.72). All four cultural intelligence domains were identified in the qualitative data (n = 315 codes), with preceptors providing evidence of cultural awareness (n = 38, 12.1%), cultural knowledge (n = 54, 17.1%), cultural practice (n = 183 codes, 58.1%), and cultural desire (n = 40, 12.7%). Preceptors described various pedagogical strategies, such as case discussions, reflection, and simulation.

CONCLUSIONS

Participants provided insight into pedagogical strategies for cultural intelligence that could promote student learning in experiential settings and help explicate curricular gaps. Further research regarding applicability of the cultural intelligence framework is needed, including application of these strategies and opportunities for preceptor development.

Nurses' experiences of discrimination in health care: A qualitative study in Iran

BACKGROUND

Justice in health is one of the main concerns of health organizations, and discrimination in health care is one of the negative outcomes to achieving this goal. Hence, a full understanding of the phenomenon of discrimination in health care and adopting strategies to eliminate it is necessary. The present study was conducted to explore and describe the experiences of nurses of discrimination in health care.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The present qualitative content analysis study was conducted between 2019 and 2020. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 18 participants (two physicians, three nursing supervisors, two head nurses, four clinical nurses, two nursing assistants, and three hospitalized patients) in one public and one private hospital in the city of Tehran. The participants were selected by purposive sampling, which continued until saturation of data. Data obtained were analyzed using the Graneheim and Lundman method.

RESULTS

Four main categories and 14 subcategories were extracted from data analysis: 1) habitual discrimination (everyday discrimination in health centers, ignoring patient rights, low levels of trust in medical staff); 2) interpersonal relationships (expectations of associates, respect for colleagues and friends, the possibility of the occurrence of similar situations, reciprocating people's favors); 3) shortage of health-care resources (shortage of medical equipment, heavy workload, infrastructure of medical centers, lack of access to physicians); and 4) favoritism (ethnicity, favoritism as a common method, and favoritism as the ultimate solution to treatment problems).

CONCLUSION

The present study revealed certain dimensions of discrimination in health care that remain hidden in many quantitative studies. It appears that health system managers will be able to move toward eliminating discrimination in health care. Thus, designing effective models to reduce discrimination in health care based on the underlying concepts of this study is recommended.

Chinese Diaspora Communities' Knowledge of and Engagement with Advance Care Planning: A Systematic Integrative Review

OBJECTIVES

To synthesize evidence regarding Chinese diasporas' understanding, experience, and factors influencing engagement with advance care planning. Methods: A systematic integrative review using content analysis. Seven electronic databases (Embase, CINAHL, SCOPUS, Web of Science, Medline (OVID), PsycINFo, and The Cochrane Library) and gray resources were searched for studies from January 1990 to March 2022. Study quality appraisal was undertaken. Results: 27 articles were identified and rated as moderate to good. Two overarching and interrelated themes were identified, "Awareness and knowledge" and "Engagement with advance care planning." There are low levels of awareness, knowledge and engagement with advance care planning for Chinese diaspora. Findings highlight that this is influenced by two key factors. First, the geographic context and legal, cultural, and social systems within which the Chinese diasporas are living act as a potential catalyst to enhance awareness and engagement with advance care planning. Second, aspects of Chinese diasporas' original culture, such as filial piety and a taboo surrounding death, were reported to negatively affect the promotion and engagement of advance care planning. Significance of Results: Chinese diasporas are intermediaries between two divergent cultures that intertwine to strongly influence engagement with advance care planning. Hence, a bespoke culturally tailored approach should be accommodated in future research and practice for Chinese communities in multicultural countries to further advance palliative and end-of-life care awareness among this group.

Asian American Self-Reported Discrimination in Healthcare and Having a Usual Source of Care

BACKGROUND

Self-reported racial or ethnic discrimination in a healthcare setting has been linked to worse health outcomes and not having a usual source of care, but has been rarely examined among Asian ethnic subgroups.

OBJECTIVE

We examined the association between Asian ethnic subgroup and self-reported discrimination in a healthcare setting, and whether both factors were associated with not having a usual source of care.

DESIGN

Using the California Health Interview Survey (CHIS) 2015-2017, we used logistic regression models to assess associations among Asian ethnic subgroup, self-reported discrimination, and not having a usual source of care. Interactions between race and self-reported discrimination, foreign-born status, poverty level, and limited English proficiency were also analyzed.

PARTICIPANTS

Respondents represented adults age 18 + residing in California who identified as White, Black, Hispanic, American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian (including Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, and Other Asian), and Other.

MAIN MEASURES

We examined two main outcomes: self-reported discrimination in a healthcare setting and having a usual source of care.

KEY RESULTS

There were 62,965 respondents. After survey weighting, Asians (OR 1.78, 95% CI 1.19-2.66) as an aggregate group were more likely to report discrimination than non-Hispanic Whites. When Asians were disaggregated, Japanese (3.12, 1.36-7.13) and Koreans (2.42, 1.11-5.29) were more likely to report discrimination than non-Hispanic Whites. Self-reported discrimination was marginally associated with not having a usual source of care (1.25, 0.99-1.57). Koreans were the only group associated with not having a usual source of care (2.10, 1.23-3.60). Foreign-born Chinese (ROR 7.42, 95% CI 1.7-32.32) and foreign-born Japanese (ROR 4.15, 95% CI 0.82-20.95) were more associated with self-reported discrimination than being independently foreign-born and Chinese or Japanese.

CONCLUSIONS

Differences in self-reported discrimination in a healthcare setting and not having a usual source of care were observed among Asian ethnic subgroups. Better understanding of these differences in their sociocultural contexts will guide interventions to ensure equitable access to healthcare.

Achieving culturally competent mental health care: A mixed-methods study drawing on the perspectives of UK nursing students

PURPOSE

This study aimed to examine the degree of cross-cultural competency among UK mental health student nurses, and the care delivery challenges arising from their internalized cultural assumptions.

DESIGN AND METHODS

This study adopted a mixed-methods design. Participants were final-year nursing students in the United Kingdom.

FINDINGS

The results revealed participants had a moderate level of cultural awareness and competency but highlighted many challenges to providing cross-cultural care arising from the meanings, enablers, and values they attributed to culturally competent mental health care.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

As cultural competency is considered an essential characteristic of effective nursing care, greater attention should be paid to how student nurses assimilate cultural awareness to develop confidence in their day-to-day practice.

Racism in healthcare: a scoping review

BACKGROUND

Racism constitutes a barrier towards achieving equitable healthcare as documented in research showing unequal processes of delivering, accessing, and receiving healthcare across countries and healthcare indicators. This review summarizes studies examining how racism is discussed and produced in the process of delivering, accessing and receiving healthcare across various national contexts.

METHOD

The PRISMA guidelines for scoping reviews were followed and databases were searched for peer reviewed empirical articles in English across national contexts. No starting date limitation was applied for this review. The end date was December 1, 2020. The review scoped 213 articles. The results were summarized, coded and thematically categorized in regards to the aim.

RESULTS

The review yielded the following categories: healthcare users' experiences of racism in healthcare; healthcare staff's experiences of racism; healthcare staff's racial attitudes and beliefs; effects of racism in healthcare on various treatment choices; healthcare staff's reflections on racism in healthcare and; antiracist training in healthcare. Racialized minorities experience inadequate healthcare and being dismissed in healthcare interactions. Experiences of racism are associated with lack of trust and delay in seeking healthcare. Racialized minority healthcare staff experience racism in their workplace from healthcare users and colleagues and lack of organizational support in managing racism. Research on healthcare staff's racial attitudes and beliefs demonstrate a range of negative stereotypes regarding racialized minority healthcare users who are viewed as difficult. Research on implicit racial bias illustrates that healthcare staff exhibit racial bias in favor of majority group. Healthcare staff's racial bias may influence medical decisions negatively. Studies examining healthcare staff's reflections on racism and antiracist training show that healthcare staff tend to construct healthcare as impartial and that healthcare staff do not readily discuss racism in their workplace.

CONCLUSIONS

The USA dominates the research. It is imperative that research covers other geo-political contexts. Research on racism in healthcare is mainly descriptive, atheoretical, uses racial categories uncritically and tends to ignore racialization processes making it difficult to conceptualize racism. Sociological research on racism could inform research on racism as it theoretically explains racism's structural embeddedness, which could aid in tackling racism to provide good quality care.

Indigenous People's Experiences and Expectations of Health Care Professionals When Accessing Care for Family Violence: A Qualitative Evidence Synthesis

Although many Indigenous peoples demonstrate resilience and strength despite the ongoing impact colonization has on their peoples, evidence suggests poor experiences and expectations of health care professionals and access to health care. Health care professionals play an essential role in responding to family violence (FV), yet there is a paucity of evidence detailing Indigenous people's experiences and expectations of health care professionals in the context of FV. Using a meta-synthesis of qualitative studies, this article aims to address the following research question: What are Indigenous people's experiences and expectations of health care professionals when experiencing FV? The inclusion criteria comprised a qualitative study design, Indigenous voices, and a focus on expectations and experiences of health care professionals when FV is experienced. Reviewers independently screened article abstracts, and the findings from included papers were subject to a thematic analysis. Six studies were included in the final meta-synthesis representing studies from Australia, the Americas, and New Zealand. Three themes were identified. Health care professionals need to center the Indigenous person in the care they provide and demonstrate cultural awareness of how history and culture influence an individual's care requirements. Health care professionals also need to ensure they are connecting for trust with the Indigenous person, by slowly developing a rapport, yarning, and investing in the relationship. Finally, Indigenous peoples want their health care professional to work on strengthening safety from culturally inappropriate care, institutional control, and potential lack of confidentiality associated with tight-knit communities.

Development and feasibility testing of a training programme for community pharmacists to deliver a culturally responsive medication review intervention

Background

Cultural differences between health professionals and Indigenous peoples contribute to health inequalities, and effective cross-cultural communication and person-centred healthcare are critical remedial elements. Community pharmacists can play a significant role by reducing medication-related problems through medication reviews, yet barriers to access include cultural and linguistic challenges. The Indigenous Medication Review Service (IMeRSe) aimed to address these barriers via a culturally responsive intervention. The aim of this paper is to present the cross-cultural training framework developed as a component of this intervention and the feasibility evaluation of the first stage of the training framework.

Methods

A training framework was developed, emphasising pharmacists’ skills and confidence in effective cross-cultural communication and relationship-building with Indigenous Australians (Please note that the use of the term ‘Indigenous’ in this manuscript includes all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and acknowledges their rich traditions and heterogenous cultures) across three stages: (1) online and workshop-based, covering Indigenous history and health, cross-cultural communication and a holistic, strengths-based approach to intervention delivery; (2) orientation to local Aboriginal Health Services, community and cultural protocols; and (3) ongoing mentoring. The feasibility evaluation of the first stage included the following: self-reported levels of cultural capability, cultural confidence and skills, motivators and barriers to working with Indigenous Australians, assessed pre- and post-training. Participants completed self-administered questionnaires including a 22-item validated Cultural Capability Measurement Tool. Paired t tests assessed change in mean scores of Likert scale data.

Results

Stage 1 development resulted in an 8.5-h standardised cross-cultural training programme tested with 39 pharmacists working across urban and rural/remote Australia. Thirty-six pharmacists completed the feasibility evaluation (75.7% female, all non-Indigenous, 75.7% never attended prior cross-cultural training). Participants reported overall acceptability with training; the majority perceived it added value to their practice. Improved cultural capability post-training was reflected in increased scores for 21/22 items, nine reaching statistical significance. There were significant improvements for all 26 confidence and skills statements, and selected motivational and barrier statements, particularly participants role in improving Indigenous health outcomes and cross-cultural communication.

Conclusions

This study provides preliminary evidence that the training programme was feasible to deliver and prepared pharmacists to deliver a culturally responsive medication review intervention. The online knowledge-based modules and face-to-face workshops provide a standardised framework for larger-scale implementation of the intervention training.

Trial registration

Australia and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12618000188235.Prospectively registered 22 January 2018.

Perceptions of Respect From Clinicians by Patients in Racial and Ethnic Minority Groups With Eye Disease

Importance

The perception of being treated with respect by clinicians may be a driver of disparities in individuals in racial and ethnic minoritie groups with eye diseases. Understanding these drivers may help identify potential interventions to reduce eye health disparities to prevent vision loss and blindness.

Objective

To evaluate the association between racial and ethnic minority status and the perception of being treated with respect by clinicians.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This cross-sectional analysis of a nationally representative cohort study using data from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) included participants in the 2017 survey with complete data on outcomes, associated factors, and covariates. Data analysis took place from January 2021 to February 2021. Using a population-based survey conducted in the US in 2017 by the US census bureau on behalf of the National Center for Health Statistics, NHIS study participants (age ≥18 years) who self-reported having an eye disease (macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy [DR], glaucoma, cataracts) were included, and patients who self-reported as Black, Asian, other/multiple races, or Hispanic ethnicity were considered to be in racial and ethnic minority groups.

Main Outcomes and Measures

Multivariable logistic regression models were used to evaluate the association of minority status with self-reported "always" being treated with respect by clinicians and self-reported "always" being asked about opinions/beliefs about medical care.

Results

Participants in racial and ethnic minority groups had 23% lower odds of reporting being treated with respect compared with non-Hispanic White patients (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 0.77; 95% CI, 0.61-0.97; P = .03). A minority of participants had 66% higher odds of reporting being asked about their beliefs (AOR, 1.66; 95% CI, 1.39-1.98; P < .001). For all patients, being asked about opinions/beliefs by their clinician was associated with a 5.8 times higher odds of reporting being treated with respect (AOR, 5.80; 95% CI, 4.35-7.74; P < .001).

Conclusions and Relevance

In this nationally representative US population of patients with eye diseases, being a patient in a racial or ethnic minority group was associated with feeling less respected by health care professionals compared with non-Hispanic White patients. Asking about opinions and beliefs, regardless of race or ethnicity, is associated with patients feeling that they are treated with respect.

Perception and Experience of Transcultural Care of Stakeholders and Health Service Users with a Migrant Background: A Qualitative Study

INTRODUCTION

While European health policies do frequently take into consideration the ideas and experiences of their users, the voices of minority and marginalized communities are not often heard. European healthcare services must address this issue as the number of healthcare users with an MM background increases.

AIM

To explore the perspectives of key stakeholders and healthcare users with an MM background on transcultural care in four European countries.

DESIGN

Qualitative phenomenological study.

METHODS

Semi-structured, individual interviews were conducted with stakeholders and MM users. Interviews were translated and transcribed verbatim and were carried out from February to May 2021. Descriptive statistics was used to describe the characteristics of the sample; qualitative data were analyzed thematically following Braun and Clarke's phases, resulting in 6 themes and 18 subthemes.

RESULTS

For stakeholders and MM users with long-established residence in their respective countries, cultural differences involve different family and community norms, religious beliefs, lifestyles, and habits. These components are perceived as in tension with healthcare norms and values, and they mediate in two key and related aspects of the relationship between MM users and healthcare providers: accessibility and communication.

CONCLUSIONS

Communication and access to healthcare are key to MM health service users, and they are the most frequent sources of misunderstanding and conflict between them and healthcare professionals.

IMPACT

It is important to extend the investigation of cultural issues in healthcare to stakeholders and MM users. There is no doubt that healthcare professionals should be trained in cultural competence; however, cultural competence training is not the only area for improvement. There should be a change in paradigm in healthcare services across Europe: from individual to organizational integration of culture and diversity.

Attitudes, acceptance and hesitancy among the general population worldwide to receive the COVID-19 vaccines and their contributing factors: A systematic review

BACKGROUND

High rates of vaccination worldwide are required to establish a herd immunity and stop the current COVID-19 pandemic evolution. Vaccine hesitancy is a major barrier in achieving herd immunity across different populations. This study sought to conduct a systematic review of the current literature regarding attitudes and hesitancy to receiving COVID-19 vaccination worldwide.

METHODS

A systematic literature search of PubMed and Web of Science was performed on July 5th, 2021, using developed keywords. Inclusion criteria required the study to (1) be conducted in English; (2) investigate attitudes, hesitancy, and/or barriers to COVID-19 vaccine acceptability among a given population; (3) utilize validated measurement techniques; (4) have the full text paper available and be peer-reviewed prior to final publication.

FINDINGS

Following PRISMA guidelines, 209 studies were included. The Newcastle Ottawa (NOS) scale for cross-sectional studies was used to assess the quality of the studies.Overall, vaccine acceptance rates ranged considerably between countries and between different time points, with Arabian countries showing the highest hesitancy rates compared with other parts of the world.

INTERPRETATION

A variety of different factors contributed to increased hesitancy, including having negative perception of vaccine efficacy, safety, convenience, and price. Some of the consistent socio-demographic groups that were identified to be associated with increased hesitancy included: women, younger participants, and people who were less educated, had lower income, had no insurance, living in a rural area, and self-identified as a racial/ethnic minority.

The privilege of a good death: An intersectional perspective on dying a good death in America

All individuals deserve an equitable opportunity to achieve a good death. Unfortunately, access to end-of-life care and services is largely unequal on the basis of race, gender, class, and other social identities. We need to understand how individuals with multiple marginalized identities face different access in attaining a good death and use this knowledge to bring equity to end-of- life care. The conceptual framework for this argument derives from intersectionality theory and the existing disparities in end-of-life care. This argument sheds light on the relationship between intersectionality and a good death, demonstrated by a case vignette, and suggests that the more marginalized social identities one has, the more difficult their access to a good death. Because it is particularly important to both recognize and actively combat these inequities, I offer three practical strategies for end-of-life researchers and practitioners. For the sake of our increasingly diverse population, advancements in end-of-life care must be made to facilitate a good death for all.

Association Between Age and Ethnicity with Pediatric Clinical Outcomes in COVID-2019

The novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) has infected people across the world, including an increasing number of children in the United States (U.S.). The epidemiology of pediatric infection in the U.S. and how it influences clinical outcomes is still being characterized. In this study, we describe a cohort of 989 children with laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection. Children under age 20 in a statewide health system with SARS-CoV-2 infection, defined by positive PCR testing, between February 1 and August 30, 2020 were included in this observational cohort study. Data extracted from the medical record included age, demographic information, clinical illness severity, hospital stay, and comorbidities. Analysis included descriptive statistics and Chi-square as appropriate. Nine hundred and eighty-children met inclusion criteria for this study, ranging from 1 month to 20 years in age. Most children (62.4%) were asymptomatic at the time of diagnosis and children over the age of 2 were significantly more likely to be asymptomatic at diagnosis than younger children (P < .05). Hispanic children were significantly more likely to be symptomatic at the time of diagnosis (56.3% asymptomatic; P < .05). The high proportion of children with asymptomatic infection emphasizes the importance of understanding the unique role of children in the pandemic. Older children are more likely to be asymptomatic, but also more likely to experience severe or critical illness when symptoms do develop. Hispanic children were more likely to be symptomatic at diagnosis, highlighting the importance of culturally specific outreach to vulnerable communities.

Perinatal Quality and Equity-Indicators That Address Disparities

There is tremendous attention in maternal and neonatal disparities, particularly disparities of race and ethnicity and subsequent outcomes that continue despite calls to action. The literature has offered potential opportunities for exploring data related to racial and ethnic disparities, including the utilization of a race and ethnicity reporting dashboard. This article reviews definitions of perinatal quality and disparity and provides insight into the development of a nationally targeted race and ethnicity dashboard. This quarterly dashboard provides hospitals with specific key metric outcomes through the lens of race and ethnicity, provides a national benchmark for comparison, and creates a data platform for team exploration and comprehensive review of findings. An overview of the development of the dashboard is provided, and the selection of key maternal and neonatal metrics is reviewed. In addition, recommendations for data science strategic planning and nursing's role in metric development, analysis, and utilization are offered and key steps in accelerating disparity data into everyday clinical care are discussed.

Learning and Teaching Latino Mental Health, Social Justice and Recovery to Visiting Students: A Pilot Study

Almost 18% of the U.S. population is estimated to be Hispanic (United States Census Bureau, 2019), and of that, 15% had a diagnosable mental illness in the past year (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2020); still, Latinos receive half as often mental health services compared to Caucasians (Office of Mental Health, 2020). Evidence suggests that minority ethnic groups may receive more inferior care standards due to biased beliefs or attitudes held by health professionals (Shepherd et al., 2018). The number of Latino Psychiatrists is not enough to care for the on-growing Latino population in the U.S. (Alarcón, 2001; American Psychiatric Association, 2017). There is a need to train medical students and residents in cultural competencies pertained to the Latino Culture and Health Services (Alarcón, 2001). We developed a pilot study of a curriculum created by Latino bilingual and bicultural mental health providers. The course lessons include (a) Health Disparities and Implicit Bias, (b) Recovery in Mental Health, (c) Immigration and Acculturation, (d) Cultural Formulation Interview, (e) Latino Values, and (f) Mental Health Systems. All topics focused on Latino Mental Health and used the “reverse classroom” teaching technique with interactive exercises. We measured the impact on knowledge, attitudes, and comfort level related to the concept taught in the lessons of this course. Teaching Latino Mental Health has a positive impact on improving the comfort level and knowledge of students. Nevertheless, there are not enough educational opportunities and information about these topics. Therefore, replicating this curriculum and expanding the education in Latino Mental Health will improve the health services provided to this community.

Learning and Teaching Latino Mental Health, Social Justice and Recovery to Visiting Students: A Pilot Study

Almost 18% of the U.S. population is estimated to be Hispanic (United States Census Bureau, 2019), and of that, 15% had a diagnosable mental illness in the past year (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2020); still, Latinos receive half as often mental health services compared to Caucasians (Office of Mental Health, 2020). Evidence suggests that minority ethnic groups may receive more inferior care standards due to biased beliefs or attitudes held by health professionals (Shepherd et al., 2018). The number of Latino Psychiatrists is not enough to care for the on-growing Latino population in the U.S. (Alarcón, 2001; American Psychiatric Association, 2017). There is a need to train medical students and residents in cultural competencies pertained to the Latino Culture and Health Services (Alarcón, 2001). We developed a pilot study of a curriculum created by Latino bilingual and bicultural mental health providers. The course lessons include (a) Health Disparities and Implicit Bias, (b) Recovery in Mental Health, (c) Immigration and Acculturation, (d) Cultural Formulation Interview, (e) Latino Values, and (f) Mental Health Systems. All topics focused on Latino Mental Health and used the “reverse classroom” teaching technique with interactive exercises. We measured the impact on knowledge, attitudes, and comfort level related to the concept taught in the lessons of this course. Teaching Latino Mental Health has a positive impact on improving the comfort level and knowledge of students. Nevertheless, there are not enough educational opportunities and information about these topics. Therefore, replicating this curriculum and expanding the education in Latino Mental Health will improve the health services provided to this community.

Assessing Differences in Concussion Symptom Knowledge and Sources of Information Among Black and White Collegiate-Athletes

OBJECTIVE

Basic concussion symptom knowledge is fundamental to concussion identification; however, racial disparities in concussion knowledge exist in high school and youth sports. It is unknown whether similar differences exist in collegiate-athletes. Identifying racial disparities in concussion knowledge and sources of concussion information is essential to inform equitable approaches to knowledge translation and educational interventions. This study examined how Black and White collegiate-athletes differed in their knowledge of concussion symptoms and use of concussion information sources.

SETTING

National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) institutions.

PARTICIPANTS

Collegiate-athletes.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional.

MAIN MEASURES

Collegiate-athletes completed a questionnaire that assessed personal and sports demographics, concussion symptom knowledge, and use of concussion information sources. Fisher's exact tests and Wilcoxon rank-sum tests examined differences in outcome measures between Black and White collegiate-athletes. A multivariable Poisson regression model examined the association between race and concussion symptom knowledge scores while accounting for sex, sports contact level, NCAA division, concussion history, and specific concussion information sources. Incidence rate ratios (IRRs) with 95% CIs excluding 1.00 were deemed significant.

RESULTS

A total of 768 (82.6% White, 17.4% Black) collegiate-athletes completed the questionnaire. Black athletes were more likely to have lower concussion symptom knowledge scores than White athletes (P < .001). In the multivariable Poisson regression model controlling for covariates, this finding was retained (IRR = 0.97; 95% CI, 0.94-0.997). White athletes were more likely to report school-based professional (P < .001), online medical sources (P = .02), and the NCAA (P = .008) as sources of concussion information. Black athletes were more likely to report referees (P = .03) as a source of concussion knowledge.

CONCLUSION

Despite NCAA concussion education requirements for athletes, Black collegiate-athletes were found to have lower concussion knowledge than White collegiate-athletes. The findings highlight the need for equitable strategies to disseminate concussion information to diverse populations by improving the physician-patient relationship and investing in culturally appropriate educational materials.

SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine Hesitancy in a Sample of US Adults: Role of Perceived Satisfaction With Health, Access to Healthcare, and Attention to COVID-19 News

Understanding which communities are most likely to be vaccine hesitant is necessary to increase vaccination rates to control the spread of SARS-CoV-2. This cross-sectional survey of adults (n = 501) from three cities in the United States (Miami, FL, New York City, NY, San Francisco, CA) assessed the role of satisfaction with health and healthcare access and consumption of COVID-19 news, previously un-studied variables related to vaccine hesitancy. Multilevel logistic regression tested the relationship between vaccine hesitancy and study variables. Thirteen percent indicated they would not get vaccinated. Black race (OR 2.6; 95% CI: 1.38–5.3), income (OR = 0.64; 95% CI: 0.50–0.83), inattention to COVID-19 news (OR = 1.6; 95% CI: 1.1–2.5), satisfaction with health (OR 0.72; 95% CI: 0.52–0.99), and healthcare access (OR = 1.7; 95% CI: 1.2–2.7) were associated with vaccine hesitancy. Public health officials should consider these variables when designing public health communication about the vaccine to ensure better uptake.

Knowledge and attitudes of U.S. medical students regarding the care of Asian American patients: a cross-sectional survey study

BACKGROUND

Asian Americans (AsAm) are a rapidly growing population in the U.S. With this growing population, U.S. healthcare providers must be equipped to provide culturally competent care for AsAm patients. This project surveyed U.S. medical students on their knowledge of and attitudes towards AsAm to assess predictors of readiness to care for AsAm patients.

METHOD

This cross-sectional study surveyed medical students who had completed at least one clinical rotation. The survey was distributed online to nine medical schools throughout the U.S. The survey measured self-rated knowledge of, comfort with, cultural competency (CC) towards, and explicit biases towards AsAm patients. The first three domains were analyzed in a multivariate regression model including sociodemographic characteristics and past clinical, curricular, and social experiences with AsAm. Explicit bias questions were reported descriptively.

RESULTS

There were 688 respondents. Asian race, AsAm-prevalent hometown, AsAm-related extracurricular activities, Asian language knowledge, and having taken a population health course predicted increased AsAm knowledge. Social interactions with AsAm increased comfort with AsAm patients. Increasing year in medical school, more frequent exposure to AsAm patients on rotations, and prior travel to an Asian country were predictors of increased CC toward AsAm. Importantly, having completed a CC course was a significant predictor in all domains. In terms of explicit bias, students felt that AsAm patients were more compliant than Caucasian patients. Students also believed that Caucasian patients were generally more likely to receive self-perceived "preferred" versus "acceptable" care, but that in their own clinical experiences neither group received preferred care.

CONCLUSION

Experience with and exposure to AsAm prior to and during medical school and CC courses may increase medical student knowledge, comfort, and CC with AsAm patients. Standardized and longitudinal CC training, increased simulations with AsAm patients, diverse student recruitment, and support for students to engage in AsAm-related activities and interact with AsAm may improve CC of future physicians towards AsAm patients and possibly other minority populations.

Justice and unintentional discrimination in health care: A qualitative content analysis

BACKGROUND:

Discrimination in health care is a common phenomenon whose complete understanding has always been a major concern of health-care systems to control and reduce it. This study aimed to explore the experiences of unintentional discrimination and related factors in health-care providers.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

This qualitative study was conducted with a content analysis approach in 2019. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 13 health-care providers including two physicians, three nursing supervisors, two head nurses, four staff nurses, and two nurse aides in two general hospitals in Tehran, Iran. Participants were selected through purposeful sampling. The obtained data were analyzed by Graneheim and Lundman method.

RESULTS:

Three main categories and eight subcategories were obtained from the data analysis: (1) forced discrimination (superiors' pressures and executive orders, occupational concerns, and fear of the superiors); (2) guided discrimination (professional challenges, managers' policymaking, and lack of medical ethics knowledge); and (3) lack of resources (workforce shortage and lack of medical equipment).

CONCLUSION:

The results of this study suggest that health-care providers such as doctors and nurses are unintentionally forced to provide discriminatory care on some occasions. Knowing and managing these unwanted factors can partly counteract unintentional discrimination. Thus, preventing the factors that lead to superiors' pressures and occupational forces and improving the medical ethics knowledge should be considered by health-care managers.

Disparities in Care Experienced by American Indian and Alaska Native Medicare Beneficiaries

BACKGROUND

Little is known about the health care experiences of American Indians and Alaska Natives (AIANs) due to limited data.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to investigate the health care experiences of AIAN Medicare beneficiaries relative to non-Hispanic Whites using national survey data pooled over 5 years.

SUBJECTS

A total of 1,193,248 beneficiaries who responded to the nationally representative 2012-2016 Medicare Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) surveys.

METHODS

Linear regression models predicted CAHPS measures from race and ethnicity. Scores on the CAHPS measures were linearly transformed to a 0-100 range and case-mix adjusted. Three AIAN groups were compared with non-Hispanic Whites: single-race AIANs (n=2491; 0.4% of the total sample), multiple-race AIANs (n=15,502; 1.3%), and Hispanic AIANs (n=2264; 0.2%).

RESULTS

Among AIAN groups, single-race AIANs were most likely to live in rural areas and areas served by the Indian Health Service; Hispanic AIANs were most likely to be Spanish-language-preferring (P's<0.05). Compared with non-Hispanic Whites, single-race AIANs reported worse experiences with getting needed care (adjusted disparity of -5 points; a "large" difference), getting care quickly (-4 points; a "medium" difference), doctor communication (-2 points; a "small" difference), care coordination (-2 points), and customer service (-7 points; P<0.001 for all comparisons). Disparities were similar for Hispanic AIANs but more limited for multiple-race AIANs.

CONCLUSIONS

Quality improvement efforts are needed to reduce disparities faced by older AIANs. These findings may assist in developing targeted efforts to address cultural, communication, and health system factors presumed to underlie disparities in health care access and customer service.

Accessing health services in India: experiences of seasonal migrants returning to Nepal

Background

Migration to India is a common livelihood strategy for poor people in remote Western Nepal. To date, little research has explored the degree and nature of healthcare access among Nepali migrant workers in India. This study explores the experiences of returnee Nepali migrants with regard to accessing healthcare and the perspectives of stakeholders in the government, support organizations, and health providers working with migrant workers in India.

Methods

Six focus group discussions (FGDs) and 12 in-depth interviews with returnee migrants were conducted by trained moderators in six districts in Western Nepal in late 2017. A further 12 stakeholders working in the health and education sector were also interviewed. With the consent of the participants, FGDs and interviews were audio-recorded. They were then transcribed and translated into English and the data were analysed thematically.

Results

The interviewed returnee migrants worked in 15 of India’s 29 states, most as daily-wage labourers. Most were from among the lowest castes so called-Dalits. Most migrants had had difficulty accessing healthcare services in India. The major barriers to access were the lack of insurance, low wages, not having an Indian identification card tied to individual biometrics so called: Aadhaar card. Other barriers were unsupportive employers, discrimination at healthcare facilities and limited information about the locations of healthcare services.

Conclusions

Nepali migrants experience difficulties in accessing healthcare in India. Partnerships between the Nepali and Indian governments, migrant support organizations and relevant stakeholders such as healthcare providers, government agencies and employers should be strengthened so that this vulnerable population can access the healthcare they are entitled to.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12913-020-05846-7.

The safety of health care for ethnic minority patients: a systematic review

INTRODUCTION

Evidence to date indicates that patients from ethnic minority backgrounds may experience disparity in the quality and safety of health care they receive due to a range of socio-cultural factors. Although heightened risk of patient safety events is of key concern, there is a dearth of evidence regarding the nature and rate of patient safety events occurring amongst ethnic minority consumers, which is critical for the development of relevant intervention approaches to enhance the safety of their care.

OBJECTIVES

To establish how ethnic minority populations are conceptualised in the international literature, and the implications of this in shaping of our findings; the evidence of patient safety events arising among ethnic minority healthcare consumers internationally; and the individual, service and system factors that contribute to unsafe care.

METHOD

A systematic review of five databases (MEDLINE, PUBMED, PsycINFO, EMBASE and CINAHL) were undertaken using subject headings (MeSH) and keywords to identify studies relevant to our objectives. Inclusion criteria were applied independently by two researchers. A narrative synthesis was undertaken due to heterogeneity of the study designs of included studies followed by a study appraisal process.

RESULTS

Forty-five studies were included in this review. Findings indicate that: (1) those from ethnic minority backgrounds were conceptualised variably; (2) people from ethnic minority backgrounds had higher rates of hospital acquired infections, complications, adverse drug events and dosing errors when compared to the wider population; and (3) factors including language proficiency, beliefs about illness and treatment, formal and informal interpreter use, consumer engagement, and interactions with health professionals contributed to increased risk of safety events amongst these populations.

CONCLUSION

Ethnic minority consumers may experience inequity in the safety of care and be at higher risk of patient safety events. Health services and systems must consider the individual, inter- and intra-ethnic variations in the nature of safety events to understand the where and how to invest resource to enhance equity in the safety of care.

REVIEW REGISTRATION

This systematic review is registered with Research Registry: reviewregistry761.

The challenge of cultural competence in the workplace: perspectives of healthcare providers

Background

Cross-cultural educational initiatives for professionals are now commonplace across a variety of sectors including health care. A growing number of studies have attempted to explore the utility of such initiatives on workplace behaviors and client outcomes. Yet few studies have explored how professionals perceive cross-cultural educational models (e.g., cultural awareness, cultural competence) and the extent to which they (and their organizations) execute the principles in practice. In response, this study aimed to explore the general perspectives of health care professionals on culturally competent care, their experiences working with multi-cultural patients, their own levels of cultural competence and the extent to which they believe their workplaces address cross-cultural challenges.

Methods

The perspectives and experiences of a sample of 56 health care professionals across several health care systems from a Mid-Western state in the United States were sourced via a 19-item questionnaire. The questionnaire comprised both open-ended questions and multiple choice items. Percentages across participant responses were calculated for multiple choice items. A thematic analysis of open-ended responses was undertaken to identify dominant themes.

Results

Participants largely expressed confidence in their ability to meet the needs of multi-cultural clientele despite almost half the sample not having undergone formal cross-cultural training. The majority of the sample appeared to view cross-cultural education from a ‘cultural awareness’ perspective - effective cross-cultural care was often defined in terms of possessing useful cultural knowledge (e.g., norms and customs) and facilitating communication (the use of interpreters); in other words, from an immediate practical standpoint. The principles of systemic cross-cultural approaches (e.g., cultural competence, cultural safety) such as a recognition of racism, power imbalances, entrenched majority culture biases and the need for self-reflexivity (awareness of one’s own prejudices) were scarcely acknowledged by study participants.

Conclusions

Findings indicate a need for interventions that acknowledge the value of cultural awareness-based approaches, while also exploring the utility of more comprehensive cultural competence and safety approaches.

Cultural awareness workshops: limitations and practical consequences

Cultural awareness training for health professionals is now commonplace across a variety of sectors. Its popularity has spawned several alternatives (i.e., cultural competence, cultural safety, cultural humility, cultural intelligence) and overlapping derivatives (diversity training, anti-racism training, micro-aggression training). The ever-increasing reach of cultural awareness initiatives in health settings has generally been well intentioned - to improve cross-cultural clinical encounters and patient outcomes with the broader expectation of reducing health disparities. Yet the capacity of cultural awareness training to accomplish or even impact such outcomes is seldom comprehensively scrutinized. In response, this paper applies a much needed critical lens to cultural awareness training and its derivatives by examining their underpinning philosophies, assumptions and most importantly, verification of their effectiveness. The paper finds cultural awareness approaches to be over-generalizing, simplistic and impractical. They may even induce unintended negative consequences. Decades of research point to their failure to realize meaningful outcomes in health care settings and beyond. Broader expectations of their capacity to reduce health disparities are almost certainly unachievable. Alternative suggestions for improving cross-cultural health care interactions and research are discussed within.