Change Matrix, in partnership with the SAMHSA-HRSA Center for Integrated Health Solutions, offered a webinar on “Developing Performance Indicators for Integration of Cultural and Linguistic Competence.”
The goals of cultural competence in the delivery of health care are consistent with the triple aims of health care reform: 1) improve population health and access to care, 2) increase quality of care, and 3) reduce cost. After years of understanding and integrating cultural and linguistic competence within organizations, there is now evidence that these activities improve outreach, engagement in care, treatment retention and adherence, and clinical outcomes and functioning. They also reduce cost through the use of bilingual clinicians and culturally adapted interventions, and reduce the risk of medical errors and malpractice. Cultural Competency (CC) working within a program is expected to promote CC in all its staff members and to create an environment that acts to improve access, engagement, and retention in treatment leading to outcomes that promote recovery for persons from diverse cultural groups.
The objectives of this webinar were to recognize the importance of measuring cultural and linguistic competence in service delivery, provide a conceptual framework and examples of performance indicators for measuring cultural and linguistic competence.
