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New Project to Focus on Disparities in Health Care

Team hopes to narrow gaps by training physicians in cultural differences

September 26, 2005

Oak Brook, Ill, – The Illinois Foundation for Quality Health Care (IFQHC) today announced a new project aimed at improving the quality of medical care given to African-American and Hispanic residents across the state. The initiative was unveiled weeks after the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) issued a report calling for urgent action to end health disparities between Caucasians and African-Americans.

Illinois African-Americans are more likely to die from stroke, heart disease and cancer than Caucasians. In a recent national study, African-Americans reported less partnership with physicians, less participation in medical decisions and low levels of satisfaction with their health care services.

Consultants from IFQHC, the Medicare Quality Improvement Organization (QIO) for Illinois, will soon launch an intensive training project to increase physicians' understanding of how race and ethnic background affects health care quality. The educational sessions will be offered at no charge to participants. Educators will apply a nationally tested program developed by the federal Office of Minority Health, along with other learning methods known to be effective.

"As Illinois' population becomes more diverse, physicians are increasingly seeing patients from cultural and linguistic backgrounds different than their own," said Beth Hackman, vice president of IFQHC. "It's important that health care organizations and their staff understand and respond with sensitivity to the needs and preferences of culturally and linguistically diverse patients."

Patients bring along cultural backgrounds, beliefs, practices and languages each time they see their health care provider. The patient-physician communication process is increasingly recognized as a key to reducing racial and ethnic health disparities.

"Despite major advances in medical technology, communication remains the cornerstone of good medicine," said Grace Martos, RN. Physician Office manager for IFQHC. "Cultural proficiency is not a magic potion that will single-handedly eliminate health disparities, but a necessary set of skills for physicians who wish to deliver high-quality care to all patients."

Martos added that doctors, hospitals and insurers must move beyond talking about disparities and figure out what can be done to close gaps. Both the American Medical Association and the Institute of Medicine have encouraged physicians to build their cultural proficiency.

IFQHC’s project will be limited to approximately 100 physician practice sites across the state. Physicians may apply to participate in the free initiative by contacting IFQHC at 1-800-386-6431.

Editor's Note:

Visit IFQHC online at www.ifqhc.org

Cultural Diversity in America

  • Ethnic and racial minorities will account for almost 90 percent of the total growth in U.S. population between 1995 and 2050. [1]
  • Growth among Hispanic Americans is projected to swell from 35 million (2000) to 55 million (2030). [1]
  • Ethnic and racial minorities report they would like to be more involved in their health care decisions, and believe they would receive better care if they were of a different race or ethnicity. [2]
  • Patients are less likely to follow treatment recommendations when they disagree with, or do not understand, their physician's instructions. [3]
  • African-Americans report less partnership with physicians, less participation in medical decisions and lower levels of satisfaction with the health care they receive. [4]

Benefits of Building Cultural Proficiency

  1. Better health outcomes. Skills that enhance a healer's ability to recognize different cultural values, beliefs and practices - and to address these factors in interventions - are likely to lead to more successful treatment outcomes. [5]
  2. More satisfied patients. Caregivers can take an active role in cultivating confidence with patients by improving their communication skills and providing the information patients want and understand.
  3. Lower costs. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has identified ways that cultural competence may reduce the overall cost of health care.
  4. Lower liability and less likelihood of malpractice claims. A lack of awareness about cultural differences - not just poor cultural competency - may result in avoidable liability.
  5. Some courts have found that delivering instructions that conflict with cultural values and beliefs may raise a presumption of provider negligence. [6]

[1] U.S. Census Bureau, 2003
[2] Commonwealth Fund, 2001
[3] Coleman-Miller, Health Care Financing Review, 2000
[4] Cooper and Roter, 2003
[5] Bonder et. al., Generations, 2001
[6] National Center for Cultural Competence, 2005

Media Contact:
Lisa Bevilacqua - (630) 928-5819
lbevilacqua@ilqio.sdps.org

This material was prepared by the Illinois Foundation for Quality Health Care under contract with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), a department of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The contents do not necessarily reflect CMS policy. IL-8SOW-PO-12-09/05