Navigating Cultural Competency: In Preparation for an Expected Standard in 2010

摘要

The term “cultural competency” has been batted around quite a bit in the health care arena in recent years, but what does it mean and how are cultural groups defined? Unfortunately, the explanation one receives ultimately depends on whom is being asked, as there is currently no agreed-upon definition of what it means to be culturally competent and deliver culturally competent care in any of the medical professions, including dietetics, where diet recommendations must acknowledge cultural needs without making assumptions and where the literature on this subject is not particularly robust (1).