Diversity & Inclusion

Diversity & Inclusion Forum on Culture: You Spoke, and We Heard You

Ronit Elk, PhD

With the increasing cultural diversity of seriously ill patients and their families, clinicians frequently care for patients whose cultural beliefs, values, and preferences may differ from their own. Studies suggest that clinicians as well as patients and families find these interactions especially challenging. As part of the Diversity and Inclusion Forum (D&I) at the 2018 Annual Assembly, "Why Do You Want to Know and Why Should I Trust You? Implicit Messaging in Cross-Cultural (Mis) Understandings," attendees were invited to submit questions on the aspects of culture they wanted the Academy's D&I Committee to focus on when developing programming for future meetings. More than 135 attendees responded. Two key themes emerged from their written input: the importance of self-awareness and a need for training in understanding how to care for patients from different cultures.