Culturally adapted health care

Program basics

Tailored care to patients’ norms, beliefs, values, language, and literacy skills
Can include matching specialists to patients by race or ethnicity; adapting patient materials to reflect patient culture, language, or literacy skills; offering education via community-based health advocates; and incorporating norms about faith, food, family, or self-image into care

Community-wide

Not available

Not available

Improved health outcomes, mental health, and health-related knowledge
Improved chronic disease management
Increased cancer screening
Improved outcomes are strongest for asthma, mental health, diabetes treatment, cancer screening, and smoking cessation

Note: This content is under review
Strategies should be developed with the goal of minimizing health disparities across cultures. Understanding the characteristics and nuances of different cultures are necessary in designing a program that minimizes bias in healthcare access and utilization.
To ensure high quality strategies, programs should be developed and tested with diverse patients, then revised in response to feedback.
Strategies can include well-translated informational materials, the inclusion of cultural elements like food and music, and culturally familiar forms of communication between providers and patients.
In developing specific content, providers can leverage cultural values and metaphors, partner with community groups to develop culturally-relevant materials, and work with patient families to understand individual obstacles to care.
Adaptations should aim not only to improve patient care but also improve health literacy, the patient navigation experience, case management, and after care.
Ensuring that staff is well-trained, culturally competent, and able to make a cultural "match" is critical in fostering trust between patients and healthcare providers.