Practicing Culturally Sensitive Care: What Can Health Care Providers Do?

This study investigates health care providers’ perceptions and practice in culturally sensitive care. 8 in-depth interviews were conducted with health care providers that lasted an average of 25 minutes. The findings revealed that health care providers tend to understand culturally sensitive care within the patient-centered care perspective. Their practice of culturally sensitive care is partially limited by language barriers, cultural barriers, and limited trainings in cultural sensitivity, while interpreting services, verbal and nonverbal communication strategies, collaborations with colleagues and self-education promote their practice of it. These findings underscore the importance of acknowledging health care providers’ influences in promoting culturally sensitive care, and the necessity of offering adequate amount of teachings and trainings in cultural sensitivity at health care programs and hospitals.