Page 16 - ASCO Cultural Competency Toolkit

CULTURAL COMPETENCE AND HUMILITY
Definitions
We define culture in broad terms to include geographic origins, traditions, cultural beliefs, language, gender, race, ethnicity, ability status, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, age, religious beliefs, education level, etc. Each identity carries with it a history and experience for individuals that in combination impacts how a patient interacts with the health care system. Clinicians should be aware of this diversity and intersections of identity, and value the cultural expertise held by each patient as fundamental to understanding how effective and respectful health care may be perceived. There have been evolving definitions and understandings in the literature about the idea of cultural competence, cultural humility, and more recently cultural safety. The term cultural competence is the ability of an individual or organization to work and communicate effectively and appropriately with people from different backgrounds, values, and traditions (Alizadeh S, et. al., 2016). The term competence implies there is a finite amount of information to be learned and mastered, which simply isn’t the case when it comes to the vast diversity of cultures that change and evolve over time. Some definitions of cultural competence describe a continuum with regular learning and the building of cultural knowledge. (Greene-Moton E, Minkler M, 2020). Cultural humility then can be described as “a lifelong commitment to self-evaluation and critique, to redressing power imbalances . . . and to developing mutually beneficial and non-paternalistic partnerships with communities on behalf of individuals and defined populations” (Tervalon, Murray-Garcia, 1998). Cultural humility can be seen as the openness to be aware of, accept, and respect cultural differences. Cultural responsiveness is recognizing one’s culture and identities, biases, and views about difference, and having the ability to learn and build on the varying cultural and community norms of patients and their families. It includes
Finally, cultural safety has been described as a “safe service to be defined by those who receive the service” (Curtis E. et. al, 2019), which requires more than individuals gaining knowledge, awareness, sensitivity, and skills-based
competencies, but rather focuses on potential differences and power dynamics between health clinicians and patients that may impact care, as well as outcomes from an organizational and systemic context.
responsive to differences and the ability to relate to members of other communities, with other
the ability to be
backgrounds and experiences, in a respectful way. (Danbolt, 2020)
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