Report Provides Tool To Help Health Care Organizations Assess Needs Of Culturally Diverse Patients

Main Category: Public Health
Article Date: 25 Apr 2008 - 9:00 PST

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"One Size Does Not Fit All: Meeting the Health Care Needs of Diverse Populations," (.pdf) Joint Commission: The report urges health care organizations to abandon the "one-size-fits-all" approach to administering health services and assess their capacity to serve the individual cultural and linguistic needs of their patients. The report, based on findings from a multi-year study funded by the California Endowment, includes a self-assessment tool designed to help health care organizations develop initiatives tailored to diverse populations. The report details a range of recommended practices across four areas: building a foundation, collecting and using data to improve services, accommodating the needs of specific populations and establishing internal and external collaborations (Joint Commission release, 4/21).

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