Clinical supervisors and cultural competence

Abstract

Supervisors were unable to define cultural competence in ways that enable them to apply the concept to clinical training for junior doctors. Specific training in cultural competence, and guidelines for its assessment, is therefore recommended for clinical supervisors and junior doctors to improve their approaches to patient care and health outcomes.

Using interpretation services during clerkships

“…Students of only one medical school have been interviewed and students in other medical schools may have different experiences, so generalising to other contexts should be done carefully. Yet, other studies found that supervisors in medical schools felt that they lacked the competencies to arrange professional interpreters and teach this to students …”

“…Yet, other studies found that supervisors in medical schools felt that they lacked the competencies to arrange professional interpreters and teach this to students. 10,12 Furthermore, students may have avoided criticising their supervisors, despite the fact that we reduced the effect of socially desirable answers by using a researcher with no hierarchical relationship with the respondents, allowing them to talk freely.…”

Communication skills training in other languages

“…Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust , Preston , UK W e read with interest the article by Berger and Conroy, which examined how junior doctors were assessed on cultural competence. 1 One of the key areas identifi ed for further training was competence in other languages while reducing the use of medical jargon, which often caused miscommunication.…”

Cultural competence lessons learned: the continuum model

“…However, the goal of integrating culture into clinical care remains elusive. Our recent Australian study revealed that clinical supervisors were unable to define cultural competence and could not apply the concept to teach junior doctors to become culturally competent in the hospital setting.…”