December 8, 2006 - Parents with limited English proficiency, providers, hospital staff, and quality improvement professionals agree that language and cultural differences lead to communication issues that can have a pervasive, negative impact on the quality and safety of hospital care children receive, according to a Fund-supported study. Yet, the authors find these stakeholders disagree about what exactly needs to change.
In the Literature
October 18, 2006 - In this commentary, Paul Schyve, of the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, analyzes the models of care offered by the five papers released at the Fifth National Conference on Quality Health Care for Culturally Diverse Populations.
Commentary
October 18, 2006 - In this commentary, Robyn Y. Nishimi, Ph.D., chief operating officer of the National Quality Forum, says it's time to move the cultural competency agenda forward--and that the best way to do that is through measurement and public reporting of performance on this dimension of quality.
Commentary
October 18, 2006 - In this Fund report, the researchers identify the five domains of culturally competent care that can best be assessed through the patient's perspective.
Fund Report
October 18, 2006 - Using case studies of organizations that have implemented cultural competency initiatives, the authors of this report, who are based at the California Pan-Ethnic Health Network, recommend ways to put cultural competency into practice.
Fund Report
October 18, 2006 - Promising research indicates cultural and linguistic competence improves health outcomes and patient well-being, the authors find in their study. But more work is needed, they say, to establish a solid "business case" for providing such care.
Fund Report
October 17, 2006 - Focusing on the Institute of Medicine's six principles for designing a high-quality health care system, the author of this Fund report identifies areas where cultural competence could be used to reduce disparities and achieve high performance health care.
Fund Report
October 17, 2006 - The authors of this Fund report consider the intersection of patient-centered care and cultural competency.
Fund Report
August 29, 2006 - Health care organizations that collect data on patients' race, ethnicity, and primary language are more likely than those without such information to work toward reducing disparities in care. Yet, a new Fund-supported study finds data collection efforts are inconsistent across organizations.
In the Literature
August 22, 2006 - This Fund report identifies "promising practices" that address language barriers and low health literacy to help hospitals and providers better communicate with their vulnerable patients.
Fund Report
August 1, 2006 - Uninsured rates for Hispanic and African American adults are up to three times greater than the rate for white adults, according to new analysis of the Fund's Biennial Health Insurance Survey.
Issue Brief
May 30, 2006 - In a Fund-supported study in Milbank Quarterly, former Harkness Fellow Mark Exworthy and colleagues discuss efforts under way in the U.S. and the U.K. to measure progress in the battle against health care disparities.
In the Literature
May 30, 2006 - Doctors often consider race or ethnic background in diagnosing illness or gauging treatment options. But a new study in Pediatrics finds significant differences between how hospital staff and patients themselves describe race—potentially undermining efforts to identify and treat illnesses.
In the Literature
April 26, 2006 - Four Fund-supported articles in a special issue of the Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law refocus policy discussion on finding solutions to health disparities, including efforts now under way at the state and local level.
In the Literature
April 11, 2006 - A Fund-supported study finds many Chinese and Vietnamese Americans use alternative medical treatments—like acupuncture or herbal medicine—but few discuss them with their clinicians.
In the Literature