Can cultural competency reduce racial and ethnic health disparities? A review and conceptual model

This article develops a conceptual model of cultural competency's potential to reduce racial and ethnic health disparities, using the cultural compete ncy and disparities literature to lay the foundation for the model and info rm assessments of its validity. The authors identify nine major cultural co mpetency techniques: interpreter services, recruitment and retention polici es, training, coordinating with traditional healers, use of community healt h workers, culturally competent health promotion, including family/communit y members, immersion into another culture, and administrative and organizat ional accommodations. The conceptual model shows how these techniques could theoretically improve the ability of health syst ems and their clinicians to deliver appropriate services to diverse populations, thereby improving o utcomes and reducing disparities. The authors conclude that while there is substantial research evidence to suggest that cultural competency should in fact work, health systems have little evidence about which cultural compet ency techniques are effective and less evidence on when and how to implemen t them properly.