Tools for Self-Assessment

  Cultural Competence in a Multicultural Society: A systems perspective

  Practitioner Quiz: What is your Cultural Competence Quotient?

  Consumer Checklist: Is your health plan culturally competent?

  A bit of humor: Questions for Academics to Ponder

  Organizational Self-Assessment

Self-Assessment Tool: Cultural Competence in a Multicultural Society:
A systems perspective

Culture and values influence our views of health and wellness. Are these understood between provider and client? Does the service delivery system empower consumers and communities in their health care decision making? Does it offer choice to consumers to meet diverse needs? Ask yourself these questions and evaluate whether or not you, your provider, or the system of care is responsive to these issues, i.e., Is it culturally competent?

1. How do you view health?
2. How do you view roles of men and women in today's society?
3. What values and beliefs influence your lifestyle behaviors (i.e., diet, exercise)?
4. What decisions influence when you seek treatment for your problems?
5. How does culture influence your choices and decisions?

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Practitioner Quiz: Are you providing Culturally Competent care?

1. Name two diseases/conditions that are influenced by racial/ethnic factors. Explain
2. Describe two cultural values or beliefs that influence how a cultural group, different from your own, responds to being sick.
3. Do you respect differences in health behaviors practiced by your client?
4. Name two ways in which your practice is responsive to the needs of diverse groups?
5. Do you take culture, gender, and race into consideration when examining risk factors faced by your clients?
6. Do you involve your clients in the decision making when considering a course of treatment?
7. What is a question you commonly ask to learn about your clients' ethnic, or sociocultural background. How is this information relevant to your practice?

Add up your score. Give yourself 1 point for each item named on questions 1, 2, 4, and 7.  Give yourself 1 point for a Yes on questions 3, 5, and 6. Score 9-10: Good work, keep it up! Cultural competence is a continuous quality improvement process. Score 2-8: Keep working, you have a way to go. Check out the links to related sites. Score 0-1: Better start developing your competency skills. Begin by reading the suggested resources.

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Consumer Checklist: Is your health plan culturally competent?

1. Do you expect your provider to be knowledgeable about your culture and to use this information in treating your problem?
2. Does your provider ask questions relevant to how your family and culture values might influence how you deal with being sick?
3. Does your health plan offer choice of providers with cultural and linguistic expertise? Can they identify these providers should you seek it?
4. Does your health plan cover benefits for risk factors common among your ethnic group?
5. Is your health plan flexible in authorizing services that may not be usual and customary, but practiced within your culture, e.g., medication?
6. Do you feel empowered in influencing how the system will meet your needs?
7. Do you feel your provider will listen to your opinion in considering treatment options?

Add up your score. Give 1 point for each item in which you responded to with Yes. For a Score 6-7, they get high marks for being culturally competent. Remember that cultural competence is a continuous quality improvement process; see that they remain responsive. For Score between 2-5: Consider how they might change. Suggest that they check out this website and the related links. Score 0-1: Consider looking elsewhere for your care.

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Question for Academics to Ponder: Why God Never Got Tenure at any University? A bit of humor.

1. He had only one major publication
2. It was in Hebrew.
3. It had no references
4. It wasn't published in a refereed journal
5. Some doubt He wrote it Himself
6. He may have created the world, but what has He done since?
7. The scientific community cannot replicate his results
8. He never got permission from the ethics board to use human subjects
9. When one experiment went awry, He tried to cover it up by drowning the subjects
10. He rarely came to class and just told students, "Read the book"
11. Some say He had His son teach the class
12. He expelled His first two students
13. His office hours were irregular and sometimes held on a mountaintop
14. Although there were only 10 requirements, most students failed.

(Quoted from an Ann Landers column)

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Cultural Audits for Organizations

Need a cultural audit? Staff development training? Consultation services? When your organization has shown an awareness of the importance to culture, get a cultural audit to help evaluate your organization's awareness and progress for continuous quality improvement. Check our Cultural Competence Online Resources for more information.
Contact us: CEOServices@culturalcompetence2.com

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CEO Services provides Consulting, Educational, and Organizational development services for those committed to transformation of work and organization environments toward a multicultural, culturally competent organization for today's diverse society.

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