Cultural competence in family practice and primary care setting

Raman Kumar; Sudip Bhattacharya; Neha Sharma; Arulmani Thiyagarajan

doi:10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_393_18

Cultural competence in family practice and primary care setting

J Family Med Prim Care. 2019 Jan;8(1):1-4. doi: 10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_393_18.

Authors

Raman Kumar¹, Sudip Bhattacharya², Neha Sharma², Arulmani Thiyagarajan³

Affiliations

¹ President AFPI, Department of Community Medicine, Himalayan Institute of Medical Sciences, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India.
² Assistant Professor, Department of Community Medicine, Himalayan Institute of Medical Sciences, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India.
³ Public Health Scientist, SRM University, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.

Abstract

In primary care settings, cultural perception and competence attitude are imperative as notion of health, illness, sickness, and care means different to different people. The knowledge of cultural beliefs and customs facilitate healthcare providers to afford improved care and helps to avert misunderstandings among care provider's staff, patients, and their families. It is a very useful approach in family practice towards improving the health care to racial/ethnic minor groups and reducing the disparities.

Keywords: Cultural competence; diversity; ethic minority; family practice; primary care; social determinants of health.

Publication types

Editorial