Why the need for cultural competence?

Cultural competence refers to an ability to communicate and interact effectively with people of different cultures. It is not just about knowing another person’s culture. In the healthcare setting it is about understanding how cultural differences impact on the consulting relationship and being able to adjust your behaviour to accommodate these differences for the best patient outcomes. Cultural competence comprises four components: cultural awareness, sensitivity, knowledge and skills.

Asian communities bring their own health beliefs, values and practices which at times conflict with western models of health care and practices. Our cultural background determines our reactions to health and sickness and influences our health behaviour. These differences can sometimes be difficult to understand. By understanding the cultural dimensions of individualism and collectivism, power distance, uncertainty avoidance and masculinity and femininity from both our own and other cultural perspectives, we can begin to recognise where the differences lie and adjust our behaviour accordingly so that we can assist the Asian children and families we work with effectively. It may be difficult to engage and to maintain effective cross-cultural interactions with families without understanding their cultural expectations of health care and health practices.