Cultural Differences in Population-Centered Health, Research Paper Example

Introduction

Population-centered health is a critical component of modern healthcare practice, as cultural diversity must be addressed on a continuous basis. Nurses working in many types of healthcare settings must consider their patient’s needs, customs, and perspectives when working with patients so that quality of care is optimized at all times. For example, African Americans possess a unique cultural identity upon which core values are established. When working with this patient population, nurses must consider these values and demonstrate sensitivity in an effective manner. Many African Americans experience significant health disparities; therefore, these must be addressed by nurses to promote ethical responsibility and greater access to healthcare services. It is imperative that nurses improve their understanding of the African American culture in order to provide culturally competent care and treatment to these patients.

Analysis

Cultural sensitivity is of critical importance in shaping healthcare outcomes for African Americans. In addition, identifying disparities is essential to improve health and access to care and treatment (AHRQ, 2013). Common disparities include lack of primary care, high rates of heart disease and chronic illness, cancer, HIV, and elderly care (AHRQ, 2013). Under these conditions, many African Americans will not receive the care that is needed to improve their health (AHRQ, 2013). Improving access to these services requires cultural competence in order to bridge the gaps that exist within this population (AHRQ, 2013). Health disparities among African Americans is a critical issue; therefore, quality of life is limited, early death is more likely, and limited opportunities to achieve economic growth are evident (CDC, 2005). These conditions reflect a challenge to develop reforms that will bridge these gaps and provide a basis for exploring new insights regarding the health and wellbeing of African Americans across all age groups (CDC, 2005).

Exercising cultural sensitivity within the African American population requires nurses to ignore stereotypes and recognize the health issues that prevail (Anderson, 2013). The prominence of health disparities within this population is a critical issue; therefore, it is important to identify areas where improvements might be made, including access to care and public health concerns such as obesity, diabetes, and hypertension (Anderson, 2013). Health disparities within this population are substantial and cannot be resolved quickly; however, there is an opportunity for nurses in community-based or public health settings to actively contribute to reduce disparities, while also providing culturally competent care on a continuous basis (Anderson, 2013). Nurses must work with African Americans within their neighborhoods so that access to healthcare is expanded and is more comfortable for patients (Anderson, 2013). This also increases the visibility of nurses within communities to improve outcomes for this population group (Anderson, 2013).

Conclusion

Members of the African American community possess considerable challenges in gaining regular access to high quality care and treatment to improve health and wellbeing. Nurses must possess a high level of cultural sensitivity and awareness of the values and customs of this culture so that they are able to bridge gaps and improve disparities over time. Nurses must be educated regarding the challenges that African Americans face so that they are able to provide culturally competent and sensitive care on a regular basis. These factors are instrumental in supporting patient care objectives that will reduce health disparities, improve knowledge, and enable patients to make positive and meaningful health-related decisions within their own lives. This community must be considered in the context of its cultural needs so that these concerns are addressed through the care that is provided within their communities, using nursing knowledge and skill as a valuable guide.

References

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (2013). Addressing racial and ethnic disparities in health care. Retrieved from http://www.ahrq.gov/research/findings/factsheets/minority/disparit/

Anderson, J.C. (2013). Black health Rx: finding a cure for America’s health disparities. Huffington Post, retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/23/black-health_n_3633248.html

Centers for Disease Control (2005). Health disparities experienced by Black or African Americans – United States. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5401a1.htm