Cultural Competency

Question 1

Define cultural competency:

Answer 1

Ensure care aligns with sociocultural and linguistic needs

Understanding and appreciation that different cultural groups have varying cultural and social needs within their health care experiences. Eg. health understanding, priorities, illness behaviour etc.

Cuturally competent care needs to appreciate the peculiarities of various local groups, and deliver care sensitive to these to enhance health care engagement and outcomes.

Question 2

How to engage/ discourage DAMA in ATSI:

Answer 2

• Engage Aboriginal Liason or key community/family member
• Rapport: ask if happy to share cultural identify, locality, family etc.
• Manner:
  Speak quietly
  Ask before shaking hand
  Sit next to, not across from
  Little eye contact
  Long silence, don’t rush
• Explore their understanding of their illness and it’s significance to them
• Explain your understanding of it to find gap, and bridge it.
• Support specific needs (eg. speak to matriarch, gender-specific doctor)