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Surmounting the Unique Challenges in Health Disparities Education: A Multi-Institution Qualitative Study

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Abstract

Background

The National Consortium for Multicultural Education for Health Professionals (Consortium) comprises educators representing 18 US medical schools, funded by the National Institutes of Health. Collective lessons learned from curriculum implementation by principal investigators (PIs) have the potential to guide similar educational endeavors.

Objective

Describe Consortium PI’s self-reported challenges with curricular development, solutions and their new curricular products.

Methods

Information was collected from PIs over 2 months using a 53-question structured three-part questionnaire. The questionnaire addressed PI demographics, curriculum implementation challenges and solutions, and newly created curricular products. Study participants were 18 Consortium PIs. Descriptive analysis was used for quantitative data. Narrative responses were analyzed and interpreted using qualitative thematic coding.

Results

Response rate was 100%. Common barriers and challenges identified by PIs were: finding administrative and leadership support, sustaining the momentum, continued funding, finding curricular space, accessing and engaging communities, and lack of education research methodology skills. Solutions identified included engaging stakeholders, project-sharing across schools, advocacy and active participation in committees and community, and seeking sustainable funding. All Consortium PIs reported new curricular products and extensive dissemination efforts outside their own institutions.

Conclusion

The Consortium model has added benefits for curricular innovation and dissemination for cultural competence education to address health disparities. Lessons learned may be applicable to other educational innovation efforts.

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Acknowledgements

All authors gratefully acknowledge K07 funding support from the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. Consortium members include: Clarence H. Braddock III, MD, MPH, Stanford University School of Medicine; David Acosta, MD, University of Washington; Paul Haidet, MD, MPH, Baylor College of Medicine; Lynn Bickley, MD/ Simon Williams, PhD, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center; Olivia Carter-Pokras, MHS, PhD, University of Maryland College Park School of Public Health; Sonia J. Crandall, PhD, MS, Wake Forest University; Chris DeGannes, MD, Howard University; Carlos Alberto Estrada, MD, MS, University of Alabama-Birmingham; Jorge Girotti, PhD, University of Illinois-Chicago; Susan Glick, MD, University of Chicago; Art Gomez, MD, University of California at Los Angeles; Kim Griswold, MD, MPH, State University New York, Buffalo; Cheryl Kodjo, MD, MPH, University of Rochester; Kofi Kondwani, PhD, Morehouse School of Medicine; Elizabeth Lee-Rey, MD, MPH, Albert Einstein College of Medicine; Desiree Lie, MD, MSEd, University of California–Irvine School of Medicine; Gail Morrison, MD, FACP, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine; and Ana Núñez, MD, Drexel University.

Conflict of Interest

None disclosed.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Maryland College Park School of Public Health, 2234G SPH Building, College Park, MD, 20742, USA

    Olivia Carter-Pokras PhD

  2. Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA

    Sylvia Bereknyei MS & Clarence H. Braddock III MD, MPH

  3. University of California-Irvine School of Medicine, Irvine, CA, USA

    Desiree Lie MD, MSEd

Authors
  1. Olivia Carter-Pokras PhD
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  2. Sylvia Bereknyei MS
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  3. Desiree Lie MD, MSEd
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  4. Clarence H. Braddock III MD, MPH
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Consortia

for the National Consortium for Multicultural Education for Health Professionals

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Olivia Carter-Pokras PhD.

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Funding support

All authors gratefully acknowledge K07 funding from the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI). This project was supported in part by NHLBI award no. K07 HL079255 “Maryland’s Approach to Cultural Competency in Healthcare” (University of Maryland College Park School of Public Health), NHLBI award no. K07 HL079330 “Integrated Immersive Approaches to Cultural Competence” (Stanford University School of Medicine) and NHLBI award no. K07 HL079256 “Cultural Competency Training in Latino Health” (University of California-Irvine School of Medicine). The contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH.

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Carter-Pokras, O., Bereknyei, S., Lie, D. et al. Surmounting the Unique Challenges in Health Disparities Education: A Multi-Institution Qualitative Study. J GEN INTERN MED 25 (Suppl 2), 108–114 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-010-1269-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-010-1269-1

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