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description Monograph

Improving Cultural Competency in the Healthcare Setting

Target Audience: Physicians, Physician Assistants, Pharmacists, Pharmacy Technicians

star star star star star_outline 3.8/5 based on 386 ratings
local_hospital 2.00 AMA PRA Category 1™
person 2.00 AAPA Category 1
groups 2.00 IPCE Credits

Course Overview

The United States is regarded as one of the most culturally diverse countries in the world. With diverse cultures also come challenges. This is particularly true for access to healthcare services across different segments of society. Health disparities can arise when explicit or implicit biases and prejudices are present in healthcare. One way to reduce health disparities is to cultivate cultural competence. Cultural competence is a clinician's ability to recognize that a patient's cultural influences shape their life and social interactions, and to respond to and acknowledge these influences. Intersectionality is a framework for understanding how social identities intersect, producing unique experiences of discrimination, privilege, and systemic inequality rather than simply summing individual forms of bias.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this educational activity, participants should be able to:

  • Define health disparities
  • Describe what is meant by cultural competency
  • Review patient characteristics such as race, gender, and sexual orientation, and describe how these groups can experience health disparities
  • Review how race, gender, and sexual orientation may overlap and interact, thereby creating privilege, discrimination, or oppression that may not be visible when considered alone
  • Identify tools to address discrimination and health disparities in the healthcare setting

Faculty

Authors & Activity Planners
Steve Malen, PharmD, MBA
View Bio +
Dr. Steve Malen graduated with a dual degree: Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) and Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Rhode Island. Over his career, he has worked as a clinical pharmacist in the retail, specialty, and compounding sectors. He specialized and taught on topics from vaccines to veterinary compounding. Dr. Malen has also written a science fiction novel and taught and cofounded the concept of Patient Empowered Blockchain (P.E.B.). Currently, Dr. Malen continues to write, teach, and consult various companies in the healthcare sector.
Kristina (Tia) Neu, RN
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Kristina (Tia) Neu, RN is a licensed Registered Nurse and author currently developing in-service training for healthcare professionals. She is a National Board-Certified Health & Wellness and Lifestyle Medicine Coach. Her work experience includes work in several areas of the healthcare profession, including psychiatric nursing, medical nursing, motivational health coaching, chronic case management, dental hygiene, cardiac technician, and surgical technician.
Additional Faculty & Reviewers
Pamela Sardo, Pharm.D., B.S.
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Pamela Sardo, Pharm.D., B.S. is a licensed pharmacist and Freelance Medical Writer at Sardo Solutions in Texas.
L. Austin Fredrickson, MD, FACP
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Dr. Fredrickson is an assistant professor of internal medicine at Northeast Ohio Medical University, where he serves as core faculty and teaches diagnostics, therapeutics, clinical skills, and health humanities. He is board-certified in general internal medicine and practices rural primary care.
  • Introduction
  • Diversity in the United States
  • Cultural Diversity and Biases, Stereotypes, and Prejudices
  • Cultural Diversity and Health Disparity
  • Defining Cultural Competence
  • Groups that Experience Health Disparity
    • Race and Ethnicity
    • HIV/AIDS and Infectious Disease Status
    • Language: Limited English Proficiency (LEP)
    • LGBTQ+ and Gender Identity
  • The Impact of Intersectionality in Social Categories
  • Assessing Cultural Competence
  • Barriers to Health Equity and How to Overcome Them
    • Communicating with Patients
    • Cultural Humility
    • Accommodate Patient Needs and Preferences
    • Core Competencies for Pharmacy Staff
  • Summary

From January 29, 2026 through January 29, 2029, participants must:

  1. Read the "learning objectives" and "author and planning team disclosures"
  2. Study the section entitled "educational activity"
  3. Complete the Course Test and Evaluation form. The Course Test will be graded automatically. Following successful completion of the Course Test with a score of 70% or higher, a statement of participation will be made available immediately. (No partial credit will be given.)

Credit for this course will be automatically uploaded to JA_PARS.

Faculty Planner Disclosure

The following individuals were involved in planning, developing, and/or authoring this activity: L. Austin Fredrickson, MD, FACP; Kristina (Tia) Neu, RN; Steven Malen, PharmD, MBA; and Pamela Sardo, PharmD, BS. None of the individuals involved in developing this activity has a conflict of interest or financial relationships related to the subject matter. There are no financial relationships or commercial or financial support relevant to this activity to report or disclose by RxCe.com or any of the individuals involved in the development of this activity.

Unlabeled Use Disclosure

The information provided in this course is general in nature, and it is designed solely to provide participants with continuing education credit(s). This course and materials are not meant to substitute for the independent, professional judgment of any participant regarding that participant's professional practice, including but not limited to patient assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and/or health management. Medical and pharmacy practices, rules, and laws vary from state to state, and this course does not cover the laws of each state; therefore, participants must consult the laws of their state as they relate to their professional practice. Healthcare professionals must consult their employer, healthcare facility, hospital, or other organization for guidelines, protocols, and procedures to follow. The information provided in this course does not replace those guidelines, protocols, and procedures, but is for academic purposes only, and this course's limited purpose is for the completion of continuing education credits. Participants are advised and acknowledge that information related to medications, their administration, dosing, contraindications, adverse reactions, interactions, warnings, precautions, or accepted uses is constantly changing. Any person taking this course understands that such a person must make an independent review of medication information before any patient assessment, diagnosis, treatment and/or health management. Any discussion of off-label use of any medication, device, or procedure is informational only, and such uses are not endorsed hereby. Nothing contained in this course represents the opinions, views, judgments, or conclusions of RxCe.com LLC. RxCe.com LLC is not liable or responsible to any person for any inaccuracy, error, or omission with respect to this course or course material.

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  • A connection to the internet

Accreditation

In support of improving patient care, RxCE.com is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.