Medical Society Encourages Physicians To Be Sensitive to Cultural Differences
In an increasingly diverse world, it is important for physicians to be compassionate and sensitive to patients’ cultural backgrounds.
The Pennsylvania Medical Society has developed principles that physicians, medical practices, and health care organizations can follow to ensure that they provide culturally competent care. They should:
- Provide care to all patients while respecting their cultural beliefs and practices
- Encourage community members from diverse backgrounds to pursue health care careers
- Receive continuing education and training in providing culturally and linguistically appropriate care
- Find a way to communicate with patients who speak limited English so that appropriate care can be provided
- Provide easily understandable patient materials and signs in languages that are widely spoken in the area
- Maintain contact with the community to better understand the community’s cultural and linguistic characteristics
- Record patients’ health care beliefs and preferences in patient records
See Related Content below for the Pennsylvania Medical Society’s full principles on cultural competency.
Last Updated: 3/31/2009