Skip to main content

Advertisement

Log in

Enhancing Oncology Health Care Provider's Sensitivity to Cultural Communication to Reduce Cancer Disparities: A Pilot Study

  • Published:
Journal of Cancer Education Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Under the auspices of a partnership grant to reduce cancer health disparities, Moffitt Cancer Center (MCC) partnered with the Ponce School of Medicine to identify the perceived cultural communication needs of MCC healthcare providers regarding Hispanic patients with limited or no English skills. Oncologists (N = 72) at MCC were surveyed to identify the specific areas of cultural communication techniques for which they desired to receive additional training. The majority of participants (66%) endorsed an interest in obtaining training to communicate difficult issues (terminal illness, controversial diagnosis) in a manner respectful to Hispanic culture. A workshop was conducted with providers (N = 55) to improve cultural communication between Hispanic patients and families focusing on culture, terminal illness, and communication strategies. Findings from a pre–post test indicate an overall positive response to the workshop. Results from this study can help inform future efforts to enhance cultural competency among health providers.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Brach C, Fraser I (2000) Can cultural competency reduce racial and ethnic health disparities? A review and conceptual model. Med Care Res Rev 57:181–217

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Graves DL, Like RC, Kelly N, Hohensee A (2007) Legislation as intervention: a survey of cultural competence policy in health care. J Health Care Law Pol 10:339–361

    Google Scholar 

  3. Kleinman A, Benson P (2006) Anthropology in the clinic: the problem of cultural competency and how to fix it. PLoS Med 3:e294

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Saha S, Arbelaez JJ, Cooper LA (2003) Patient-physician relationships and racial disparities in the quality of health care. Am J Public Health 93:1713–1719

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Surbone A (2010) Cultural competence in the practice of oncology. Paper presented at the Grand Rounds Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa

    Google Scholar 

  6. Tervalon M, Murray-Garcia J (1998) Cultural humility versus cultural competence: a critical distinction in defining physician training outcomes in multicultural education. J Health Care Poor Underserved 9:117–125

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. The Joint Commission (2010) The Joint Commission: advancing effective communication, cultural competence, and patient- and family-centered care: a roadmap for hospitals. The Joint Commission, Oakbrook Terrace

    Google Scholar 

  8. Tucker CM, Herman KC, Pedersen TR, Higley B, Montrichard M, Ivery P (2003) Cultural sensitivity in physician-patient relationships: perspectives of an ethnically diverse sample of low-income primary care patients. Med Care 41:859–870

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

Funding for this project was provided by NIH U56 grant CA118809 and CA157250.

Ethical standards

I confirm all human studies have been approved by the appropriate ethics committee and have been performed in accordance with the ethical standards laid down in the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki. All persons gave their informed consent prior to their inclusion in the study.

Conflicts of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Gwendolyn P. Quinn.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Quinn, G.P., Jimenez, J., Meade, C.D. et al. Enhancing Oncology Health Care Provider's Sensitivity to Cultural Communication to Reduce Cancer Disparities: A Pilot Study. J Canc Educ 26, 322–325 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13187-011-0223-1

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13187-011-0223-1

Keywords

Navigation