Promoting Health Through the Social Environment: Culturally Competent Health Care
Culturally competent health care systems in the U.S. provide user-friendly services for patients or clients of various cultural backgrounds who may or may not speak English. Accommodating cultural and language differences may in itself improve health because:
- Patients or clients may be more likely to trust, and therefore use, healthcare services that respect their culture and language.
- Healthcare providers may improve the quality of care if they better understand the various health beliefs and practices among the people they treat.
Task Force Recommendations & Findings
This table lists interventions reviewed by the Community Guide, with Task Force findings for each (definitions of findings).Click on an underlined intervention title for a summary of the review.
| Cultural competency training for healthcare providers | Insufficient Evidence |
| Culturally specific healthcare settings | Insufficient Evidence |
| Use of interpreter services or bilingual providers | Insufficient Evidence |
| Use of linguistically and culturally appropriate health education materials | Insufficient Evidence |
| Programs to recruit and retain staff who reflect the community’s cultural diversity | Insufficient Evidence |
Presentations & Promotional Materials
Slides
Using Evidence for Public Health Decision Making: Promoting Health through the Social Environment 
[PDF - 340KB] Developed by the Community Guide
For More on this Topic
Disclaimer
The findings and conclusions on this page are those of the Community Preventive Services Task Force and do not necessarily represent those of CDC.
Sample Citation
The content of publications of the Guide to Community Preventive Services is in the public domain. Citation as to source, however, is appreciated. Sample citation: Guide to Community Preventive Services. Promoting health through the social environment: culturally competent healthcare. www.thecommunityguide.org/social/ccc.html. Last updated: MM/DD/YYYY.
- Page last reviewed: February 7, 2011
- Page last updated: September 21, 2010
- Content source: The Guide to Community Preventive Services
The Guide to Clinical Preventive Services
Together, the Community Guide and the Clinical Guide provide evidence-based recommendations across the prevention spectrum.Contact Us:
- Community Guide Branch
Epidemiology and Analysis Program Office (EAPO)
Office of Surveillance, Epidemiology, and Laboratory Services (OSELS)
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
1600 Clifton Road NE
Mailstop E-69
Atlanta, GA 30333 - Community Guide
