Journal Club Recap - Enhancing Cultural Competence

Quality Improvement Advisor Christina Clarke, facilitated the November session of ImpactBC’s Journal Club, discussing the article Enhancing Cultural Competence for Improved Access to Quality Care by Karima Karmali, Linda Grobvosky, Jennifer Levy and Margaret Keatings. The article examined a quality improvement initiative by the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto that aimed “to address the existing evidence base on health disparities and to enhance health equity through cultural competence programming.”

With the help of funding from Citizenship and Immigration Canada, the hospital established the New Immigrant Support Network (NISN) to improve access to health care and health information for newcomers to Canada and enhance the cultural competency skills of providers.

Some of the techniques the hospital utilized included:

• Translating health education materials into nine languages
• Allowing protected time for staff from different departments to attend cultural competence training
• Using professional actors play the part of patients and their families and interact with staff in simulated scenarios
• Installing kiosks that provide information and directions for patients and families in multiple languages

Through this initiative, the hospital was able to increase patient satisfaction for meeting the needs of cultural sensitivities by 5%.
The Journal Club participants discussed the definition of “culture” as it relates to BC. Discussion points included:

• The need for health care facilities to be aware of what cultures live in their community and understand the differences among them
• Face to face contact increases understanding of the concept of illness for new comers to Canada
• Community-based care would offer the best understanding of cultural sensitivities since they develop programs specifically for them

The next Journal Club is from 11am – 12noon on Tuesday, December 13, discussing the IHI article Understanding Variation by Thomas W. Nolan and Lloyd P. Provost.