Multicultural Health Best Practices Overview

prepared for
The California Endowment
Multicultural Health Investment Area

Julia Puebla Fortier
Resources for Cross Cultural Health Care
February 1998, updated November 1999

Key Areas

1. Culturally Competent Health Services
2. Policy Development and Research in Multicultural Health
3. Community Capacity Building

Task and execution

This report:

Each subsection is composed of description, analysis and examples, and is immediately followed by summary recommendations. Significant examples or programs may be elaborated on by supplementary material contained in the appendix. A resource list of contacts, resources, and reference documents referent to bolded text in the document appears at the end.

Overall, the recommendations at the end of each subsection can be synthesized into some major themes:

We hope these recommendations will be of use to a broad audience of stakeholders interested in improving the availability and quality of culturally appropriate health services for diverse populations.

Some considerations in producing this report must be noted at the beginning. Overall, it is difficult, if not impossible, to qualify any program or practice as "best." All issues related to culturally competent health services and policy are constrained by the fact that little or no validating research has been done to prove one approach more effective than another (this issue is addressed more fully in the discussion of research). Analysis and opinions rendered here are based on seven years of research and discussion with a variety of practitioners and experts, nationally and from other countries. Information about particular programs was verified through telephone conversations in 1998 with a select group of these individuals, and partially updated in November 1999.

Outline of topics to be addressed

	1. Culturally Competent Health Services
		1.1 Linguistic Access Through Bilingual or Interpreter Services
		Summary Recommendations
		Contact, Resources, and References
		1.2 Interpreter Practice
			1.2.1 Role and Practice Standards
			1.2.2 Skills Assessment, Competency Testing, Certification
			1.2.3 Professional Development
			Summary Recommendations Contact, Resources, and References
		1.3 Medical Interpreter Training and Provider Education on Working with Interpreters
			1.3.1 Medical Interpreter Training
			1.3.2 Provider Education on Working with Interpreters
			Summary Recommendations Contact, Resources, and References
		1.4 Language Education Programs for Health Staff
			Summary Recommendations Contact, Resources, and References
		1.5 Written Materials in Other Languages
			Summary Recommendations Contact, Resources, and References
		1.6 Cultural Competency of Health Professionals
			1.6.1 Curricula and Training Programs
			1.6.2 Attitude/Skills Assessment, Tools, Resources
			Summary Recommendations Contact, Resources, and References
		1.7 Cross Cultural Health Programs & Initiatives
			1.7.1 Organization Competence
			1.7.2 Organizational Assessment, Tools, Resources
			Summary Recommendations Contact, Resources, and References
	2. Policy Development and Research in Multicultural Health
		2.1 Policy Development
		2.2 Research And Evaluation
		Summary Recommendations Contact, Resources, and References
	3. Community Capacity Building
		3.1 Capacity For Advocacy
		3.2 Capacity For Program Development And Management
		Summary Recommendations Contact, Resources, and References

1. Riddick Bilingual/Interpreter Services Overview
2. AAPCHO report summary
3. Health department program summaries
4. UMMC interpreter services manual outline
5. Review of medical interpreter training program
6. Translation protocols
7. Cultural patient inquiry/assessment tools
8. Cross Cultural Health Program summary
9. Kaiser Permanente activity summary
10. Mathematica Policy Research cultural competence domains
11. Siegel cultural competence tool overview
12. MCH Center summary
13. New York Task Force summary
14. Minority Health Professions legislative report
15. RCCHC Research Agenda Proposal
16. Fortier paper excerpt on model policies
17. Fortier paper excerpt on advocacy

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