Educational institutions for health professionals are increasingly required to include cultural competency in curriculum and training programs so that future health professionals are prepared to provide health care services that are respectful and responsive to cultural and linguistic needs. The University of Maryland School of Medicine (SOM) is uniquely positioned to develop inter-disciplinary cultural and linguistic competency curricula for health professionals since it shares a campus with Schools of Nursing, Social Work and Dentistry. Under Dr. Carter-Pokras' leadership, a multifaceted approach will be used to develop, implement and evaluate cultural competency curricula at the University of Maryland. New SOM faculty orientation materials and training will include information on how to address linguistic barriers. Case studies of best practices in culturally competent care in the areas of cardiovascular disease, pulmonary disease, hematological disorders (oncology) and sleep disorders will be developed for inclusion in SOM curriculum. Through a new required 4-year Practice of Medicine course, medical students will receive expanded training in cultural and linguistic competence. Optional medical Spanish classes, community practice experiences, medical interpreter training and qualifying examinations for native Spanish and advanced medical Spanish students, and elective courses at our sister health professional schools will be offered. Changes in student attitudes and beliefs regarding persons of other cultures (questionnaires) and student behavior (standardized patients) will be assessed. Seminars based on the Office of Minority Health/American Institute of Research's family medicine cultural competency curriculum will be provided to selected University of Maryland Residents and Fellows. Patient perspectives and instructor evaluations of how students utilized the training in practice will be assessed. A web-based course on Health of Diverse Populations will be developed for practicing health professionals in collaboration with the Schools of Nursing, Dentistry and Social Work. Quality of on-line instruction (learning effectiveness, cost effectiveness, access, faculty satisfaction, student satisfaction) will be assessed using the Sloan-C Model of Five Pillars of Instruction. An asthma intervention in the adult emergency department incorporating health professional training in cultural competency and national asthma guidelines will be conducted, and changes in asthma patient outcomes assessed.
