The racial and ethnic minority groups in the US experience the highest mortality rates for various cancers. Various factors like lack of culturally congruent care and competent providers can lead to delayed care.

 For the study, selected the appointed surgical providers from six hospitals representing two hospital systems in the Puget Sound region of Washington State. Surgical providers were identified through department listings between April and August 2012 by using the following procedures:

  • The placed study packets in provider hospital mailboxes 
  • Mailed to addresses by the US Postal Service

Participants filled a 50-item survey accessing demographic data with the Cultural Competence Assessment (CCA) and the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale. 

The survey response rate was 51.1%. Those treating diverse patient populations; 71% encountered patients from six or more racial and ethnic groups. CCA scores ranged from 5.99 to 13.75, and receipt of diversity training was associated with higher scores than nonreceipt of diversity training (10.56 v 9.82, respectively; P < .001).

Culturally competent care is a vital but often overlooked component of high-quality health care. Majority of surgical providers who treat racially and ethnically diverse patients perceived a high level of cultural awareness which was positively correlated to analyses.

Future research should include medical oncology and other oncology providers to offer a complete picture of cultural competency across the cancer care continuum. Diversity training interventions are quite substantial requirements.

Ref: https://ascopubs.org/doi/full/10.1200/JOP.2015.006932 

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