As the U.S. has evolved into a more diverse society, opportunities for misunderstandings in the clinical setting between physician and patient become more likely. In the past decade evidence has linked cultural diversity to disparities among populations in the delivery of medical care and in health outcomes. 

 

This curriculum is a toolbox of materials for teaching culturally competent skills needed for practical day-to-day encounters between clinicians and patients. The goals of the curriculum are to teach participants to recognize when cultural differences exist in patient encounters and to utilize specific communication skills to elicit their patients' cultural perspectives about health and illness. Finally, the curriculum assists clinicians in negotiating with patients to provide appropriate care that is congruent with patients' expectations and preferences. Each section of the curriculum includes exercises with descriptions of purpose, learning objectives and teaching instructions, time requirements, overheads and handouts. The teaching approach emphasizes experiential learning as a means of expanding awareness and developing new knowledge and skills. The curriculum includes information on specific cultural groups only when such information will help the learner understand and gain insight into patients' experiences of being "different."