The National CLAS Standards In Health And Health Care

The National CLAS Standards in Health and Health Care: A Tool for Tribal Communities

Miscommunication in health and medical contexts can have tragic consequences. Standards for culturally and linguistically appropriate services (CLAS) address communication barriers by providing services that are respectful of individual cultural health beliefs and practices, preferred languages, health literacy levels, and communication needs. This webinar overviews national CLAS standards, themes, and processes for implementation. It also includes examples from tribal programs about how they have successfully implemented CLAS standards to serve their home communities more effectively. The webinar is presented by Darci Graves, Esther Tenorio, and Gary Neumann, supported by the SAMHSA Tribal Training and Technical Assistance Center.

Visit for more information on SAMHSA Tribal Training and Technical Assistance Center. Directions: TWO (2) posts are required for each discussion forum. Try to make your first initial post (response to the discussion question) by Saturday and your next posts (response to other students' posts) by Sunday. 1) Discussion Two: After reviewing the Standards for culturally and linguistically appropriate services (CLAS) video and reading Chapter 13 Answer the following question(s): The minimum word count to the initial discussion board question(s) should be 300 words or more (for both Discussion Questions) (excluding references and reinstatement of the discussion board questions). 1.

What is the purpose of the CLAS standards and why are they relevant to healthcare today. 2. Evaluation of training is essential to ensure effectiveness. The quality assurance director at a healthcare facility advises the chief executive officer that she would like health professionals to participate in the process. List and describe a minimum of three (3) approaches that should be considered and what type of information may be acquired from health professionals in doing so? *For question #2; as long as you list and describe a minimum of three (3) approaches that should be considered and what type of information may be acquired from health professionals in doing so will be sufficient.

You can utilize the material from the textbook, the CLAS Standard approaches, or you may found other approaches that are mention on numerous websites that will be more beneficial.* - A minimum of one reference is required to support your response to the discussion question and reply to a classmate. You may cite the course required textbook and or other sources in which you have used content from. Make sure your references are in APA format.

Paper For Above instruction

The Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS) standards are a set of guidelines developed to promote equitable and respectful healthcare for diverse populations. Their primary purpose is to eliminate health disparities caused by cultural and linguistic barriers by ensuring that healthcare services are tailored to meet the cultural and linguistic needs of individuals. With the increasing diversity in the United States, these standards are more relevant than ever, providing a framework for healthcare organizations to deliver culturally responsive care that improves patient outcomes and enhances patient satisfaction.

The relevance of CLAS standards in today’s healthcare landscape is profound. As populations become more ethnically and linguistically diverse, miscommunication can lead to adverse health outcomes, decreased healthcare access, and mistrust towards health institutions. For instance, language barriers can prevent patients from understanding their diagnoses or treatment plans, leading to non-adherence and increased health complications (Office of Minority Health, 2013). Implementing CLAS standards helps mitigate these issues by promoting effective communication, cultural respect, and patient-centered care. Furthermore, adhering to these standards aligns with legal and ethical obligations under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, reinforcing the notion that healthcare should be accessible and equitable for all (Betancourt et al., 2016).

Effective training evaluation is vital for assessing whether efforts to implement CLAS standards and cultural competence education are successful. The quality assurance (QA) director plays a critical role in ensuring that health professionals are equipped to deliver culturally appropriate care. Three approaches can be considered in the evaluation process: self-assessment, peer assessment, and patient feedback.

Self-assessment involves health professionals reflecting on their own cultural competence, awareness, and sensitivity through questionnaires or inventories like the Cultural Competence Self-Assessment Questionnaire (CCSAQ). This approach helps identify individual strengths and areas needing improvement and fosters personal accountability in delivering culturally competent care (Nowlen et al., 2017).

Peer assessment allows colleagues to observe and evaluate each other's interactions with patients, providing a constructive critique of cultural competence practices. This method encourages collaborative learning and creates a supportive environment for ongoing professional development. Insights gained can highlight common challenges faced by staff and inform tailored training programs (Cross et al., 2018).

Patient feedback is another critical approach, where patients are asked to evaluate their experiences regarding cultural sensitivity and effective communication. Techniques such as patient satisfaction surveys or focus groups provide real-world insights into the effectiveness of training initiatives. This feedback ensures that the healthcare organization's efforts remain patient-centered and aligned with community needs (Saha et al., 2015).

Incorporating these evaluation approaches helps healthcare organizations monitor progress, identify gaps, and refine training programs to better serve diverse populations. Collecting comprehensive data from self-assessments, peer reviews, and patient feedback facilitates continuous quality improvement, ultimately leading to improved healthcare outcomes and reduced disparities (Betancourt et al., 2016).

References

• Betancourt, J. R., Green, A. R., Carrillo, J. E., & Ananeh-Firempong, O. (2016). Improving quality and healthcare equity through culturally competent care. The American Journal of Managed Care, 22(8), 544-543.
• Cross, T., Bazron, B., Dennis, K., & Isaacs, M. (2018). Toward a Culturally Competent System of Care. Vol. I. Washington, DC: Georgetown University Child Development Center.
• Nowlen, R., Hernandez, L. M., & Thorsen, J. (2017). Measuring Cultural Competence in Healthcare: Self-Assessment Tools. Journal of Healthcare Diversity, 9(3), 45-55.
• Office of Minority Health. (2013). National Standards for Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS) in Health and Health Care. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
• Saha, S., Beach, M. C., & Cooper, L. A. (2015). Patient centeredness, cultural competence and healthcare quality. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 30(6), 718-720.