Approaches and Goals

”If I am not who you say I am, you are not who you think you are…”

This quote from James Baldwin captures the interdependent nature of identity and how intercultural communication is as much about understanding ourselves as understanding others.

Consequently, CDH training and education reflects a relationship-centered approach to healthcare. The cultural and personal identities, perceptions, feelings, and experiences a healthcare provider brings to a relationship with a patient have a meaningful impact on the patient’s well-being.

The fundamental goal of CDH’s education and training initiatives is to help healthcare providers develop a lifelong commitment to learning about one’s own cultural experience as one is learning about others’ experiences.

The CDH approaches the topic of provider cultural competence with an emphasis on improved communication skills, building upon the following learning objectives:

• Develop a knowledge base about how cultural values and assumptions influence relationships and interactions;
  
• Develop the communication skills to engage in meaningful dialogue about these influences;
  
• Develop self-awareness of cultural values and assumptions as well as communication strengths and challenges; and
  
• Apply these domains of knowledge with diverse populations in clinical settings.