The US health services research agency, AHRQ. has just published an evidence review report called "Improving Cultural Competence to Reduce Health Disparities for Priority Populations
." A PDF of the report is online at:
https://www.effectivehealthcare.ahrq.gov/search-for-guides-reviews-and-reports/?pageaction=displayproduct&productID=2206
A
web page version of the report (which will be easier to read) will be
available in a few weeks.
Here is the description and conclusions from the abstract:
Objective. To examine existing system-,
clinic-, provider-, and individual-level interventions to improve culturally
appropriate health care for people with disabilities; lesbian, gay, bisexual,
and transgender (LGBT) populations; and racial/ethnic minority populations.
Review methods. Two investigators screened
abstracts and full-text articles of identified references for eligibility.
Eligible studies included randomized controlled trials (RCTs), prospective
cohort studies, and other observational studies with comparators that evaluated
cultural competence interventions aimed at reducing health disparities in the
formal health care system. Two investigators abstracted data and assessed risk
of bias. Given the sparse and patchy literature, which precluded pooling, a
qualitative analysis is provided.
Conclusions. None of the included studies
measured the effect of cultural competence interventions on health care
disparities. Most of the training interventions measured changes in
professional attitudes toward the population of interest but did not measure
the downstream effect of changing provider beliefs on the care delivered to
patients. Interventions that altered existing protocols, empowered patients to
interact with the formal health care system, or prompted provider behavior at
the point of care were more likely to measure patient-centered outcomes. The
medium or high risk of bias of the included studies, the heterogeneity of
populations, and the lack of measurement consensus prohibited pooling estimates
or commenting about efficacy in a meaningful or responsible way. The term
“cultural competence” is not well defined for the LGBT and disability
populations, and is often conflated with patient-centered or individualized
care. There are many gaps in the literature; many large subpopulations are not
represented.