Tag Archive for: cultural humility

Peer Insights: Practicing Cultural Humility to Empower Your Patients

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Peer Insights: Practicing Cultural Humility to Empower Your Patients from Patient Empowerment Network on Vimeo.

How can healthcare providers practice cultural humility to empower their patients? PEN’s Vice President of Programs Aïcha Diallo discusses barriers healthcare providers may encounter and advice for overcoming or minimizing these barriers to cultural humility.

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Peer Insights: Understanding Cultural Competence vs. Cultural Humility

 Cultural Humility Fostering Respect & Understanding Your Patient's Unique Identity

Cultural Humility: Fostering Respect & Understanding Your Patient’s Unique Identity Infographic

Transcript:

Dr. Nicole Rochester:

Cultural humility has practical implications for improving healthcare outcomes such as improved communication, empowerment, and trust between providers and their patients, and also enhance patient-centered care. But we know that there are barriers that may exist to putting these things into action. Aicha, what are some common challenges that healthcare providers face when trying to practice cultural humility?

Aïcha Diallo:

Some of the things that I’ve been seeing is really not being able to carve out enough time to listen to their patients’ unique traits, unique characteristics, needs, wants, concerns, or even goals. We always encourage our patients and care partners to put all of this on the table and to share this with their healthcare teams. But something that we always hear is that there wasn’t enough time allocated to even go there.

So that is a challenge for someone who wants to practice cultural humility but doesn’t have enough time to be able to do that. I would also add to that, that it’s giving, and I sort of mentioned this earlier, sort of giving enough room for their patients to feel comfortable to engage in shared decision making, for them to feel that they are co-decision makers and it’s the time for them to express what’s going on. And to even add more. 

Another challenge is working in an environment that does not always promote cultural humility. So the healthcare professional might feel alone and feel that they’re practicing this on their own, and there are no other colleagues or no one else with them throughout this. One of the other things I would like to also add as a challenge is not being able to work as a group to identify some of the patient’s barriers that they’re facing and even providing helpful resources that could be meaningful to them.

Dr. Nicole Rochester:

Thank you. You’ve talked about a lot of these barriers that are really outside of the control of the provider. And so that brings me to my next question, which is really about the systems in which we provide care. What is the role of healthcare institutions supporting ongoing learning and environments that actually promote cultural humility so that providers can truly empower their patients?

Aïcha Diallo:

It’s really ensuring that patients and their families can access effective and equitable care regardless of who they are, where they’re from, what they look like, where they live. I think here at Patient Empowerment Network, we have several cultural humility resources for healthcare professionals, which include infographics that are embedded in the EPEP program and other resources that incredibly useful and important to them to access at their fingertips and be able to feel empowered themselves so they can continue to empower their patients.

We have added recently over a 100 languages to our website to make sure that our resources are available to anyone. And one of the last things that I would add as well is we continue to encourage healthcare professionals to share our PEN’s resources because by doing that, not only that the healthcare professional empowers themselves comes ready with information and comes humble with a step back and say, please share more.

But they’re also able to provide those resources and programs to their patients so they can access them so they could also feel empowered. So I would add, please continue to share our PEN’s resources. Make sure you include a lot of the tools and the tips that are useful for your patients regardless of what language they speak or where they live or again, where they’re from. So providing our digital literacy skill programs are also really important, our Digital Sherpa and Digitally Empowered, with your patients and families as it will provide them with some additional insight and a way for them to feel that they do have presence and they sit at the table to engage better with their healthcare teams.

Dr. Nicole Rochester:

Thank you so much. This has been such an enlightening discussion and lots and lots of resources that PEN provides. And thank you for all that you all are doing in this space. Aicha Diallo, vice President of Programs at Patient Empowerment Network, thank you so much for your wisdom and your insight.

Aïcha Diallo:

My absolute pleasure. Thank you so much for having me.

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Peer Insights: Understanding Cultural Competence vs. Cultural Humility

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Peer Insights: Understanding Cultural Competence vs. Cultural Humility from Patient Empowerment Network on Vimeo.

What’s the difference between cultural competence versus cultural humility? PEN’s Vice President of Programs Aïcha Diallo defines cultural competence and cultural humility, and she discusses why they are both vital in healthcare and advice for putting them into practice.

Related Resources:

Cultural Competence vs. Cultural Humility

Cultural Competence vs. Cultural Humility Infographic

 Aicha Diallo

Peer Insights: Practicing Cultural Humility to Empower Your Patients

 Cultural Humility Fostering Respect & Understanding Your Patient's Unique Identity

Cultural Humility: Fostering Respect & Understanding Your Patient’s Unique Identity Infographic

Transcript:

Dr. Nicole Rochester:

Today we’re going to talk about the differences between cultural competence and cultural humility, are both essential for fostering inclusive and respectful environments in the patient-physician dynamic. I have the honor and privilege of connecting with the Patient Empowerment Network’s, Vice President of Programs, Aïcha Diallo. Such a pleasure to connect with you today, Aïcha.

Aïcha Diallo:

I’m very happy to be here. Thanks for having me.

Dr. Nicole Rochester:

Wonderful. So, Aïcha, you have been leading community awareness efforts as a public health practitioner for over 11 years. You are a respected voice on cultural humility in healthcare. Can you explain why understanding the concepts of cultural competence and cultural humility is essential for fostering inclusive and respectful environments. And before you go there, if you could clarify for the audience, what is the difference between cultural humility and cultural competence?

Aïcha Diallo:

Absolutely. So they’re both very important concepts, but cultural humility is really taking the time to understand and see the unique elements of your patient’s identity and experience that shapes exactly who they are. And it’s very important because it allows healthcare professionals to be able to listen, show respect, be humble, help give their patients the care and need they want. It also opens up a door for them and their patients to engage better and share decision-making. Now, when it comes to cultural competence, it is knowledge we’ve required through a course or a curriculum is something that as healthcare professionals, we have learned. 

So it almost feels like checking off a box. It tends to promote competence and expertise when we know that we can never really be experts at somebody else’s culture or personal history, experience, preferences, and even beliefs. Cultural competence, I have to say, tends to focus on the group trait as a whole. So it would specifically touch on the ethnic and racial backgrounds of a person, while cultural humility looks at the bigger picture, what is their race, ethnicity, age, gender, sexual identity, and more. So that’s the difference between cultural humility and cultural competence. But having both and practicing both as you are interacting with patients, care partners and their families is very important.

Dr. Nicole Rochester:

Wonderful. I appreciate that. I personally have challenges with the term cultural competence, and so I really appreciate you explaining those differences and how really humility, they’re both important, but humility is really that journey that we all should take.

Aïcha Diallo:

Absolutely.

Dr. Nicole Rochester:

So in terms of advice or recommendations for the providers that are watching, how do we operationalize this? What does cultural humility look like on a practical level?

Aïcha Diallo:

So on a practical level, it’s important for healthcare professionals to first identify their own cultural identities and biases. You have to know your own and what you’re coming with in order for you to be equipped to be better present for your patients. It’s important as well, to be honest about their lack of knowledge about a patient’s culture and experience. We cannot know everyone, so learning directly from them is very important. It’s also crucial to not make any assumptions. It’s important to listen, ask appropriate questions.

Again, be humble and respectful of everyone’s culture and experiences. And I would say really give your patients and their care partners or other family members that are in the room or came with them more time to share about themselves. This is a way that healthcare professionals are going to learn directly from their patients and know who they are and what their needs and wants are. I would also add educating oneself and learn about other cultures is another very important component to that.

Dr. Nicole Rochester:  

Thank you so much. So if I could summarize what you’ve said, it sounds like it’s important. Of course, we know to practice both, and competency is really that knowledge and education, but as you stated, sometimes it turns into kind of a check the box. I’ve reached the destination and we know that this is really something. There’s never any end point to this journey.

And in contrast, you shared that humility is really about learning, being open to learning, wanting to learn, taking the time, which we know we don’t have a lot of time in these encounters, but taking the time to actually learn about our patients and listening to what they share. And I also appreciate you sharing, it’s also identifying our own identities and biases. So thank you so much for being here and for illuminating this conversation.

Aïcha Diallo:

I would also add to this, that cultural humility is really taking a step back and saying, I don’t know, and I would love to hear more about you. I’m not sure what may be going on here or what you need to add or how I can better find out about your background. Would you like to share more? It’s really that humility piece that’s extremely important.

And that opens up that door, I would say, or leaves room on the table for the patient to also feel comfortable to be  sharing more and for them to come to a common ground in order to find the best treatment course for them or the best plan for them and meet them exactly where they are.

Dr. Nicole Rochester:

Meeting them, where they are. Thank you so much, Aïcha. I agree. 

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How Can Cultural Competency Play a Role in Your Care?

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How Can Cultural Competency Play a Role in Your Care? from Patient Empowerment Network on Vimeo.

Cultural competency, also known as cultural humility, can help provide better care. Dr. Nicole Rochester and Sasha Tanori discuss barriers to diagnosis and Sasha’s experience as a Mexican American patient in the healthcare system.

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Transcript:

Dr. Nicole Rochester:

Sasha, from your perspective, and you mentioned you’re a Mexican American, you mentioned that there were significant barriers for you in terms of getting a diagnosis, having to leave your community. So I love for you to share more about that, this idea of cultural humility, cultural sensitivity, and how that played out or maybe didn’t in your experiences with the healthcare system.

Sasha Tanori:

Yeah, I live in the lowest poverty line of California, so there’s not very much out there at all in my area. Just to get my diagnosis, like I said, I had to leave out of my community to go get the community…to go get the diagnosis. Sorry. And when I did that, it was…a lot of it had to also do with your…for me personally, it has to do with like generational. My father doesn’t believe in diagnosis, diagnoses, to him, it’s like every time I kept coming to him and complaining about this issue, he was just like, “Oh, you’re exaggerating.” Or it would be like the typical [passive], “You’ve got to go and put some Vicks on it, and you’re fine,” type of response, and I kept bugging him and bugging him, and he didn’t believe me, nobody believed me because it’s just such a…like I said, I live in a…what’s the word I’m thinking of, I’m sorry. I live in a community that they don’t take things like this seriously from Mexicans. If a white girl was to go to the hospital and say, “Hey, I’ve got bruises.” It’s like, “Okay, let’s do testing right away.” But I kept…and it is a lot of my generational, I think, trauma from my parents or from my dad mostly, that I didn’t even believe myself, it’s just like…

I kept putting it on the back burner. I kept thinking, “No, there’s nothing wrong. No, there’s nothing wrong. No, there’s nothing wrong.” And I wish that I would have advocated for myself a lot sooner. I wish that I would have taken my own problems more seriously because I didn’t…I didn’t think anything was wrong either. I just kept ignoring it, because that’s just how my mind was trained from my community, from my parents or my dad mostly, and finally, once I was able to… Once I started getting really, really serious, I still didn’t get the help, I needed it right away, it was now kept pushing it back on, “You need to lose weight,” or “You’re anemic,” or “You have this blood disorder, so take this medicine.’ Like nobody really took anything I was saying serious, because I also didn’t take it serious, my community doesn’t take it serious, my dad doesn’t take it serious, and that all just comes back to being Mexican. That’s just how it is when you’re Mexican, you don’t really take any of the serious issues serious, you go to work, and you take care of your family. And you put yourself on the back burner.

You put yourself last. And it was really hard. Yeah, but now that I’ve been through everything I’ve been through, I’m seriously, so passionate about making sure that people, especially Mexicans realize, “Hey, whatever you’re feeling, whatever you’re going through, whether it’s physical, emotional, mentally, it needs to come first, no matter what.”