Question

Conduct an assessment of the health care environment where you work (i.e. health department, long-term care facility, specialty clinic, inpatient hospital, etc). Specifically, examine potential barriers that may exist for a member of a minority group that has a significant presence in your community (i.e. Native American, Cubans, Hmong). Using the criteria below (and explained in greater detail on pages 39 and 40), assess the potential organizational barriers to care in your work environment. Explore ways to decrease barriers to health care for this minority group so that your organization can strive for cultural competency.

• Availability

• Accessibility

• Affordability

• Appropriateness

• Accountability

• Adaptability

• Acceptability

• Awareness

• Attitudes

• Approachability

• Alternative practices and practitioners

• Additional services

Answer 1

#. Barriers to healthcare are :-

language and health literacy, availability, accessibility, affordability, appropriateness, accountability, adaptability, acceptability, awareness, attitudes, alternative practices, additional services, and approachability.

#. Ways to decrease barriers : -

Promoting availability by :-

expanded hours of services in ED, satellite urgent care centers, temporary supply of medications until local pharmacy is open

- Increasing accessibility by :-

vans placed at convenient locations and times, advertise in newspapers, newsletters, public transportation

- Increasing affordability :-

financial assistance, involve social workers to get patients funds on a temporary basis, partner with larger organizations that have full-service capabilities to offer hours in rural areas on a regular basis

- Increasing appropriateness by :-

offer full-service health promotion and wellness services, testing, and education a few days a week on a regular basis, partner iwth larger organizations that have full-service capabilities to offer hours in rural areas on a regular basis

Promote accountability by :-

provide cultural competence in orientation programs, Obtain local, regional, or national organizations and personnel to provide cultural competence workshops, Update staff annually on the practices, values, and health beliefs of the populations served, Provide print and online resources for staff

- Increase adaptability :-

Provide several times during the week when full-service health promotion and wellness, services, testing, and education are available

Increase acceptability :-

Match sex of the patient and HCP whenever requested and Provide ethnic concordant providers whenever possible