Translation and validation in Greek of the Central Vancouver Island Multicultural Society Cultural Competence Self-Assessment Checklist for health professionals

Advancing Access to Quality LGBTQIA+ Health Care: Gender Discrimination, Socio-Cultural, and Mental Health Issues: A Mixed-Method Study

Recent research highlights the lack of knowledge and reduced skills of health care professionals in communicating with people from the LGBTQIA+ community. This often occurs due to reduced continuing education on social issues in the health sector. The purpose of this research was to study the readiness of health care professionals to manage the social and mental health issues of the LGBTQIA+ community. In particular, the cultural competence of health care professionals targeted at gender identity, the recognition of the level of mastery of soft skills, and the relevant experiences of the participants were studied. For the purposes of conducting this research, a mixed methodology was used to pursue an in-depth study of human beliefs, attitudes, perceptions, ideas, and experiences. More specifically, a previously validated research tool was used to measure cultural competence and assess soft skills. At the same time, interviews were conducted with health care professionals for a more complete understanding of their skills and attitudes. The study comprised a quantitative study involving 479 health care professionals and a qualitative study involving 20 health care professionals, with results from each study. The results showed that the health care professionals' knowledge of the LGBTQIA+ community is sufficient, but their skills and attitudes towards gender diversity are limited. In addition, the level of acquisition of soft skills by health care professionals is low, and there is insufficient training for health care professionals with regards to social issues. In conclusion, a targeted and structured educational intervention for health care professionals is required to avoid future unfortunate behaviours, and to ensure that the health care provided to healthy and sick populations, regardless of sexual orientation, is adequate.

Self-Assessment of Health Professionals' Cultural Competence: Knowledge, Skills, and Mental Health Concepts for Optimal Health Care

Current research often refers to cultural competence to improve health care delivery. In addition, it focuses on the cultural uniqueness of each health service user for optimal personalized care. This study aimed to collect self-assessment data from health professionals regarding their cultural competence and to identify their development needs. A mixed methods design was adopted using the Cultural Competence Self-assessment Checklist of the Central Vancouver Island Multicultural Society. This was translated into Greek, validated, and then shared with health professionals in Cyprus. Subsequently, a semi-structured interview guide was designed and utilized. This was structured in exactly the same question categories as the questionnaire. Data collection took place between October 2021 and May 2022, and convenience sampling was used to recruit 499 health scientists in Cyprus. The sample comprised doctors, nurses, psychologists, midwives, social workers, and physiotherapists. Subsequently, 62 interviews were conducted with participants from the same specialties. The results showed that (compared to other health professionals) nurses and psychologists are more sensitive to issues of cultural competence. It would appear that the more socially oriented sciences had better-prepared healthcare staff to manage diversity in context. However, there is a gap between knowledge and skills when comparing doctors to nurses; they seem to be more skilled and willing to intervene actively in cases of racist behavior or problem-solving. In conclusion, participants identified the importance of their cultural competence; they also realized the importance of optimal planning of personalized health care. There is a significant need for continuous and specialized cultural competence training for all health professions.