INVESTING IN CULTURAL

COMPETENCE and BUSINESS

ASPECT OF HEALTH CARE
OGAYRE ROVIELYN P
INVESTING IN CULTURAL
COMPETENCE
• Changes for cultural competence require anf expenditure of money or
invesment to revise key aspects of the organization, such as
diversification, training, moving customer/patient/client environments
toward culturally visual affirmation, and demographic data analysis.
• RETURN ON INVESTMENT is the monetary benefits derived from having
spent money on developing or revising the system.
• Through customer service surveys, demographic data to determine
market share, and increases and decreases in malpractice claims based
on culturally biased events, the evidence to support such actions will
surface.
INVESTING IN CULTURAL COMPETENCE
• IBM in 1995 as led by CEO Lou Gerstner took a radical approach that
led to the turnaround of the company. His goal was to minimize the
differences
• His efforts were not limited to diversification efforts only but included
cultural competence strategies and a clear understanding that the
two terms, diversity and cultural competence, are not synonymous.
• Differences are often considered a deviation from the mainstream,
which is “a term that is often used to describe the ‘general market,’
usually refers to abroad population that is primarily white and middle
class”
INVESTING IN CULTURAL
COMPETENCE
• Through targeted efforts at diversifying health care and public health
organizations, beginning from the top down, and implementing
cultural competence initiatives, organizations will benefit.
• There must be a business case established for such action by taking a
look at the intended communities to be served from a demographic
perspective and targeting them accordingly with progressive, positive
approaches, which has their optimal care and health needs in mind.
BUSINESS ASPECT OF HEALTH CARE
• It cost money to provide health care and reflecting those who are in
need of the services make good business sense.

• It is important for healthcare organizations to gain greater insight into

their major markets at every level. If the organization is located in a
community with changes of minority groups, learning about the
culture of the community and diversifying staff to reflect the
community in an effort to ensure customers feel compatible with
those who will serve them.
BUSINESS ASPECT OF HEALTH CARE
• To preculde a language barrier training should include universal
language techniques, rather than the requirement of learning
additional languages, as this would be unrealistic. Some examples of
universal language techniques are simple and include actions such as
smiling upon initiating communication, which is a universal form of
positive communication. Understanding matters regarding hand
gesturing, eye contact, and touching, which varies between cultures,
are also important aspects of universal communication.
• Training will also ensure that staff, taking culture into consideration, can
discern specific, particular health needs and concerns and any barriers
that may exist in terms of the provision of services.
BUSINESS ASPECT OF HEALTH CARE
• By doing so, healthcare professionals get closer to their patients and
the communities they serve and vice versa, leading to a reciprocal
relationship in which the community wants to maintain a
longstanding relationship with the health professionals that serve
them, primarily because they care, and the health professionals are
meeting the needs of the community. Given that the community will
pay for services, in one form or another, from a strict business
vantage point and in staying in line with providing optimal services to
the community, the outcome is a win–win situation and perhaps a
profitable venture, as indicated in the next figure
BUSINESS ASPECT OF HEALTH CARE
BUSINESS ASPECT OF HEALTH CARE
• Health professionals must acquire cultural knowledge and skill sets
that enable them to work with diverse populations. This is essential to
seize opportunities for future growth as immigrants, minorities, and
others continue to position themselves to gain access to healthcare
coverage and services. It is important to prepare for an ever-growing
diverse population and to be able to communicate effectively to
ensure an emphasis on two key components of the bottom line:
increased market share and increased profits (Suro, 2000).