Cultural Competency of Health Care Providers and Patient Satisfaction in the American Indian Community

Challenges in the delivery of health care services to American Indian people includes the recognition of the importance of cultural competency training as a part of the educational programs of study for each health care provider. The acquisition of cultural competency potentially could increase a health care provider’s ability and openness to engage American Indian patients, increase quality of health care and positive outcomes, and reduce health disparities. It is important as a survival strategy for American Indian people to ask for health care providers to acculturate to the American Indian culture. A non-experimental, cross-sectional, correlational study will be conducted to explore the health care providers awareness of American Indian culture and patient satisfaction with cultural competence of health care providers for American Indian patients of the Indian Health Clinics in southern California. Research study outcomes could be useful to other American Indian patients of Indian Health Clinics throughout the United States. A convenience sample of health care providers and American Indian patients will be recruited at Indian Health Clinics for research to study this topic. Data will be analyzed using descriptive statics and correlations. Finding will be disseminated widely to inform the practice of health care providers caring for American Indian people.