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Culturally Effective Pediatric Care
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recognizes the need
for culturally effective pediatric care by stating that “the
needs of the pediatric population are influenced by factors
relating to culture and ethnicity. Pediatricians must acquire
the knowledge and practice skills that will allow them to: recognize
and address culture and ethnicity; make valid assessments of
clinical findings; provide effective patient management.”
Furthermore, the Academy recognizes the problem of increasing
health disparities between children of ethnic and racial groups
compared with white children, by stating that “for the
pediatric population, social, racial, and ethnic barriers may
perpetuate these disparities by preventing adequate access to
care.”
Two important activities to note have been designed to promote
the provision of culturally effective pediatric health care.
- In December, 2004, the AAP published in Pediatrics its
far-reaching policy statement, “Ensuring
Culturally Effective Pediatric Care: Implication for Education
and Health Policy.” This policy statement embraces
a broad definition of “culture,” that includes the
traditional concepts of race and ethnicity, but also extends
to sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, religious beliefs,
language, customs, gender, and other distinct attributes.
The AAP believes that “culturally effective pediatric
care” is a more inclusive term than “cultural competence,”
because it encompasses the values of competence but more importantly
focuses on the outcomes of the physician-patient or physician-family
interactions. This important policy statement is based on
the conviction that culturally effective health care can be
taught and acquired throughout the spectrum of lifelong learning.
Indeed, this concept is reaffirmed in the statement’s
first recommendation that calls for education programs that
are tailored to the unique needs of the learner that address
one or more cultural attributes.
- The Children's
Rights Curriculum can be used to raise awareness of the
Convention on the Rights of the Child by increasing the understanding
of its direct application to health and health care policy
and practice, raise awareness of the relationship between
public policy and the health rights of children and encourage
a commitment to the development of an advocacy role related
to children's rights.
The AAP continues this focus on culturally effective pediatric
care. Click to find facts, figures,
resources, and more on the critical need for cultural competence
within the world of medicine.
For More Information...
Email: docbi@aap.org
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