MedEdPORTAL (Apr 2016)
Aging, Culture, and Health Communication: Exploring Personal Cultural Health Beliefs and Strategies to Facilitate Cross-Cultural Communication With Older Adults
Abstract
Abstract Introduction There is a critical need for qualified health care workers to care for this increasingly diverse generation of older adults. This cultural competency training module was developed for health care professional students, trainees, and practitioners to explore personal health beliefs, attitudes towards older adults, and strategies to facilitate cross-cultural communication in this vulnerable patient population. Methods The activity incorporates a combination of instructional strategies including self-reflection, video vignettes, and role plays for participants to practice using cross-cultural communication skills and tools. The activity is designed to be a stand-alone 2-hour session, with an additional 15–20 minutes of individual self-reflection before and evaluation after the session. It may be used as an introductory module for a didactic course, clinical rotation, or continuing education activity for health care providers. Results Based on participant evaluations from two sessions, the majority (94%) of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that they were able to describe similarities and differences between major health belief systems in the world. All participants reported high self-efficacy in the ability to describe the source of one personal cultural health belief. Two-thirds of respondents (71%) believed that this module improved their cross-cultural communication skills and would result in better patient–provider relationships with older adults. Discussion Based on participant evaluations of the module, the session has consistently been able to increase participant awareness of the influence that personal health beliefs have on patient–provider communication and perspectives on health, disease, and methods of healing. activity.
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