Introduction: Provider-based assumptions, bias, and a lack of culturally responsive communication can harm the patient-provider relationship. Culturally insensitive care can lead to microaggressions, medical errors, unnecessary hospitalizations, and adversely affect health outcomes. Physical therapists must be prepared to provide culturally responsive, patient-centered, and individualized health care.
Review of literature: Intercultural competencies (ICC) include a set of skills that develop over a lifetime. Research suggests that the development of ICC among health care providers is critical to reducing existing health care inequities. The aims of this study were to evaluate the development of ICC in doctor of physical therapy (DPT) students over time and to investigate the impact of gender, ethnicity/race, age, participation in an intercultural learning experience (ILE), and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Subjects: A convenience sample of 182 DPT students from 2016 to 2021.
Methods: The curriculum incorporated content related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and ICC threaded through courses, labs, and simulations. Students completed the Inventory for Assessing the Process of Cultural Competence Among Healthcare Professionals-Student Version© (IAPCC-SV), and a descriptive survey in years 1 and 3. A Repeated Measure ANOVA and post hoc comparisons were used to compare within group scores.
Results: There was a significant increase in IAPCC-SV total ( P < .001), and all construct scores ( P < .001) year 1 to year 3. IAPCC-SV total scores for men, older students, students who identified in majority ethnic/racial groups, those in the program before the COVID-19 pandemic, and those who participated in an ILE, achieved change greater than the MDC 95 value.
Discussion and conclusion: Students who participated in a DPT program that included evidence-based curriculum and pedagogy related to concepts of ICC and DEI demonstrated significant development of ICC essential for health care provision. Findings support published recommendations that ICC curricula should be integrated throughout the academic experience considering a contextual, developmental, and experiential process.
Keywords: Global education; Intercultural competencies; Physical therapy.
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