Evaluating Cultural Competence Attitudes to Mitigate Healthcare Disparities among Healthcare Workers: A Strategic Approach to Enhancing Medical Education.

Elnaggar, Marwa Ahmed; ALANAZI, ABDULRAHMAN

doi:10.21608/jhpei.2024.318964.1033

Evaluating Cultural Competence Attitudes to Mitigate Healthcare Disparities among Healthcare Workers: A Strategic Approach to Enhancing Medical Education.

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ (1) Medical Education Unit, Community and Family Medicine Department, College of Medicine, Jouf University Sakaka, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (2) Medical Education Department, Faculty of Medicine, Suez Canal University Ismailia, Egypt.

² Ministry of health AlJouf region

10.21608/jhpei.2024.318964.1033

Abstract

Background: Healthcare disparity refers to the unequal burden of diseases, disability, injury, or mortality that certain groups experience compared to others. Healthcare providers must stay informed about the segments of society affected by specific health disparities. This study aimed to evaluate cultural competence attitudes to mitigate Healthcare Disparities among healthcare workers in the Aljouf region; we strive to enhance medical education.
Methodology: An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted with 307 healthcare workers from various categories and sectors. A bilingual, standardised, and validated tool was used to evaluate three domains of healthcare disparity: Domain I - Cultural Competence Rationale, Context, and Definition; Domain II - Key Aspects of Cultural Competence; and Domain III - Impact of Stereotyping on Medical Decision-Making. Appropriate statistical tests, including the Mann-Whitney U test, Kruskal-Wallis test, and Spearman’s rank correlation, were employed to examine relationships between domains and participants' sociodemographic characteristics.
Results: Less than 50% agreement was noted in most items across the three domains. The lack of attendance at social justice courses significantly correlated with Domain II (p = 0.004) and Domain III (p = 0.001). Positive correlations were observed between the domains: Domain I and Domain II (rho = 0.642, p < 0.001), Domain I and Domain III (rho = 0.674, p < 0.001), and Domain II and Domain III (rho = 0.823, p < 0.001).

Conclusion: This study evaluated northern Saudi healthcare workers’ cultural competence attitudes, revealing limited support across domains. It recommends integrating cultural competence training and a multicenter survey of qualitative disparities.

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