Cultural Competence in Health Care Book

Cultural competence in Health Care provides a balance between a theoretical foundation and clinical application. Because of the focus on basic principles, this book will be useful not only in the United States, but throughout the world as Cultural Competence is intending to fill the cultural competence gap for students and practitioners of medicine and related health sciences, by providing knowledge and describing the skills needed for culturally relevant medical care of patients of diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds.

Doody Review Services

Reviewer:Kathleen M. Woodruff, RN, MS, CRNP(Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing)
Description:This book focuses on educating healthcare professionals on the complex issues surrounding the delivery of culturally competent care. It moves from basic definitions to clear applicable examples, helping readers to become more accomplished in this area.
Purpose:Societies around the world are becoming increasingly multiethnic and polycultural, creating an environment in which healthcare providers must be skilled in providing care to patients from diverse backgrounds with varying customs and beliefs. A primary goal of this book is to assist modern healthcare professionals in emphasizing the integration of mind and body -- to see and care for the patient as a whole person, a spirit endorsed by the contemporary field of psychosomatic medicine. Additionally, minorities and culturally different people are increasingly experiencing inequality in the area of healthcare. A goal of this book is to help address this issue by educating healthcare professionals in the area of cultural competence. The objectives of this book, therefore, include providing critical knowledge about cultural issues in healthcare and approaches to obtaining necessary cultural knowledge in specific situations, and enhancing cultural sensitivity by stressing the cultural implications of various interactions and situations. These worthy objectives have been met by this clearly written book.
Audience:This book is written for students in medicine, nursing, social work, clinical psychology, and other healthcare disciplines. It is designed to be an aid for practicing physicians and healthcare professionals.
Features:The authors introduce the topic with an overview of the concept of culture and the various issues that effect healthcare professionals. They then provide specific information on interacting with a variety of ethnicities and strategies for overcoming difficulties such as language with the use of interpreters. The table of contents is comprehensive and chapter subtopics are easily identified in the text. The use of case vignettes provides a nice balance to the theoretical information.
Assessment:This is a wonderful addition to the literature, providing much needed instruction in the area of cultural competence. The inequities of healthcare experienced by many culturally different people need to be addressed. This book provides information to assist healthcare professionals in becoming aware and sensitive to these important issues.