As healthcare moves toward a value-based system that rewards positive outcomes over procedures, social determinants of health (SDOH) are a central part of the effort to improve overall health and reduce health disparities.
ACAP is a national trade association representing not-for-profit Safety Net Health Plans. ACAP’s goal is to support and strengthen Safety Net Health Plans as they work with communities and providers to improve the health of vulnerable populations. ACAP members represent over 50 percent of individuals enrolled in Medicaid-based programs. The Preferred Vendor Program connects ACAP members with vendors who are optimized to meet their unique needs.
Culture impacts every mental health patient—and every mental health practitioner. Culture is a key factor that we all bring to every interaction, and it can be especially influential in times of emotional distress. Culture, including beliefs, values, norms, and behaviors, affects how we experience and interpret the world, including the meaning we impart to mental illness. In a clinical setting, cultural meanings of mental illness can account for whether and how a patient:
Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) is one of the nation's top medical institutions and a leader in the practice and research of medicine. It was established a community hospital charged with serving the medical needs of Boston's diverse population. Over 200 years later, people travel from all over the world to seek medical care at MGH, and serving diversity is still central to its mission.
Religion and spirituality are key cross-cultural issues that can impact the way patients react to disease and illness. They also affect the way patients approach medical management. Learn how healthcare providers can expand social history questioning to include religious and spiritual considerations. View and share the infographic.
Culture is a complex concept. It includes people’s beliefs, values, behaviors, and ways of understanding their world. In medicine, managing cultural differences—including customs—is essential to providing high-quality health care. One challenge is that patients may not realize they have customs that could jeopardize their wellness. Culture is largely invisible to people who share it. But to outsiders, the customs and ways of life of different cultures are often obvious—and sometimes strange. Here's an example from my own experience:
Great news here at Quality Interactions. Our industry-leading cultural competency training for healthcare organizations just got even better. We've updated and enhanced our popular course catalog, starting with the ResCUE ModelTM for effective cross-cultural interactions. With powerful new features that increase engagement and deepen learning, now is a great time to utilize our proven eLearning courses for your clinical and non-clinical staff.
How can clinicians help ease the stress of chronic disease? Recent healthcare news stories published in The New York Times draw attention to the incredible burden of serious illness and chronic disease on critically sick patients. Not only are they physically uncomfortable and often fighting for their lives—they are also baffled by a confusing healthcare system and swamped by medical bills. Now imagine adding a language barrier to the mix! The challenges of serious illness are compounded when there are cross-cultural issues at play. Quality Interactions' EFST Model is designed to help clinicians uncover and address these issues and provide culturally-sensitive care to all patients with chronic disease.
In the 1990s, before I started my second year of medical school at University of California, San Diego (just 30 minutes north of the Mexican border) I made a decision that would change my life. The second-year curriculum allowed for a number of elective courses. We were supposed to select from a catalogue of options—radiology, advanced anatomy, medical ethics, and many others. Most students chose two per semester. I chose one that spanned the entire year: Medical Spanish.
