HSS 261 Unit 4 Individual Project
HSS 261 Unit 4 Individual Project
Unit 4 Assignment: CLAS Standards
Diversity has become a core aspect of the U.S. population and healthcare organizations must develop interventions that cater to different patient populations. Culturally-competent care helps providers reduce the existing inequities in access and quality of healthcare (Golden et al, 2021). For providers to deliver effective healthcare services to patients, they must consider the individual communication needs, preferred language, cultural and religious beliefs and practice as well as health literacy levels as mandated by the Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS) standards by the Health and Human Services’ Office of Minority Health. The CLAS standards’ primary aim is to enhance health outcomes and lower the existing health inequities, especially among the minority, through demonstrating respect for culture and language preferences (HHS Office of Minority Health, 2022). The purpose of this paper is to discuss a video case study on CLAS requirements and the appropriate actions by healthcare providers based on these standards to improve access to health.
Healthcare Inequity Depicted in the Video
The video case study depicts a cultural case involving the need for healthcare providers and organizations to integrate language access services (LAS) to help patients with limited English understanding to comprehend their diagnosis and appropriate care recommended by the healthcare provider. The video case discusses a patient limited English proficiency or LEP who is supposed to undergo surgery but the facility does not have a qualified interpreter to ensure that the patient gets correct information regarding the recommended treatment intervention (HHS Office of Minority Health, 2016). Bringing relatives and friends to interpret diagnosis and medical recommended risks the safety of patients since such people do not have sufficient knowledge or training in conveying medical information between physicians and patients. This may lead to incorrect treatment which is harmful to the patient.
CLAS Standards Demonstrated in the Video
The aim of the national CLAS standards is to advance health equity and enhance quality while eliminating disparities through the provision of a blueprint for health and health care facilities. These standards focus on provision of effective, equitable, respectful and understandable quality care to patients (HHS Office of Minority Health, 2016). The care must align with diverse cultural health beliefs and practices and in tandem with a patient’s preferred, levels of health literacy and other important communication needs.
The video shows the need for appropriate language competent care that considers the limited English proficiency patients (LEPs) who need a qualified interpreter who understand the medical language and terms. The video shows the need for the facility to have a trained expert to help the patient who is about to undergo a surgical procedure but has limited proficiency in English language (HHS Office of Minority Health, 2016). The video shows that the practice and the team of surgeons require language access services (LAS) through the hiring of trained medical interpreter to help with communication between providers and patients and their families.
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Meeting the standards highlighted in the video would lower health equity by ensuring that patients who have limited English proficiencies access health based on their level of understanding the language of instructions. Meeting this standard also means that the facility would reduce adverse events and enhance patient safety through getting correct medical and healthcare information (HHS Office of Minority Health, 2022). The standard on language proficiency means that patients from diverse backgrounds will have increased access to quality care as they will have a better comprehension of the recommended standards and interventions.
Healthcare Organization doing to offer Best Care and Eliminate the Inequities
Language barriers limits accessibility and health equity among the racial and ethnic minorities as illustrated by the case study video. The organization in this case has a legal duty and obligation to hire a trained medical interpreter to help provide better care to patients with limited English proficiency. As illustrated in the video, failure to have a trained medical interpreter may lead to adverse events like incorrect or inappropriate treatment which may jeopardize the health of the affected patients (Ogbolu et al., 2018). Language Access Services (LAS) is required by law and this implies that the organization must have skilled interpreters to offer the best care to the ethnic minority patients. Organizations that benefit from federal funds must offer language access services (LAS) to enhance their ability to cater to patients who cannot speak English or understand it well.
Being in Similar Situation in the Future
After viewing the standards, I would be better prepared to deal with these situations better since I have complied with the provisions of the law on LAS. The implication is that I would have an interpreter to help deal with patients who have limited proficiency in English yet they require medical care. These standards lead to better care provision as they reduce the cost of care in the long-term by limiting the number of visits to emergency room and even patient readmissions (Handtke et al., 2019). The reductions of patient visits mean that the facility to expand access to care by having more room for more patients. The situation also means that the facility should print materials and content in languages that are spoken mainly by patients, both majority and minority in the facility.
Conclusion
The integration of CLAS requirements and mandates is essential in enhancing access and lowering the underlying inequities in health care provision. The video case study shows that Limited English Proficiency (LEP) patients need interpretation services from trained medical interpreters to reduce their susceptibility and any possible based on poor interpretation. The implication is that all providers and healthcare organizations must comply with the federal mandates as contained in the CLAS requirements.
HSS 261 Unit 4 Individual Project References
Golden, S. H., Joseph, J. J., & Hill-Briggs, F. (2021). Casting a health equity lens on
endocrinology and diabetes. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 106(4), e1909-e1916. DOI: 10.1210/clinem/dgaa938.
Handtke, O., Schilgen, B., & Mösko, M. (2019). Culturally competent healthcare–A scoping
review of strategies implemented in healthcare organizations and a model of culturally competent healthcare provision. PloS one, 14(7), e0219971.
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0219971.
HHS Office of Minority Health (2016). Think Cultural Health Case Study: Using Language
Access Services. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxT9VILjXAU
HHS Office of Minority Health (2022). National Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate
Services Standards. https://thinkculturalhealth.hhs.gov/clas/standards
Ogbolu, Y., Scrandis, D. A., & Fitzpatrick, G. (2018). Barriers and facilitators of care for diverse
patients: Nurse leader perspectives and nurse manager implications. Journal of nursing management, 26(1), 3-10. DOI: 10.1111/jonm.12498.
Assignment Description
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Assignment Details
Racial and ethnic diversity is increasing in the United States, and healthcare organizations have been working to decrease inequities in access and quality of healthcare. Delivery of healthcare services must be responsive to an individual’s communication needs, preferred language, health-literacy level, and cultural beliefs and practices. To help healthcare organizations establish guidelines for meeting the needs of a diverse patient population, the Office of Minority Health of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) developed the Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS) standards. The CLAS standards are designed to improve health outcomes and reduce health inequities by showing respect for the culture and language preferences of patients.
Review the standards on this Web site.
Consider the CLAS standards as you watch the following case study videos:
Cultural and Religious Beliefs
Using Language Access Services
Culturally Tailored Healthcare in Orthopedics
Culturally Tailored Healthcare in Obstetrics
Choose 1 video case study as the basis for your paper, and answer the following questions:
Briefly describe what type of healthcare inequity was depicted in the video.
Which CLAS standards are or are not demonstrated in the video? How would meeting the standards reduce health inequity in the example that you chose?
What could the healthcare organization do better to provide patients with the best care and eliminate the health inequities illustrated in the video?
If you were faced with similar types of situations in the future, explain how you would be better prepared to handle them appropriately after viewing the standards.
HSS 261 Unit 4 Individual Project Rubric
The Individual Project (IP) Grading Rubric is a scoring tool that represents the performance expectations for the IP. This Individual Project Grading Rubric is divided into components that provide a clear description of what should be included within each component of the IP. It’s the roadmap that can help you in the development of your IP.
ExpectationPoints PossiblePoints EarnedCommentsDescribed the type of healthcare inequity that was depicted in the video case study.25Identified which of the CLAS standards are or are not demonstrated in the video case study and explained how the health inequity illustrated in the case study would be reduced if the CLAS standards had been met.30Identified ways that a healthcare organization could do better to provide patients with the best care and eliminate the health inequities as illustrated in the video case study.30Explained if you are better prepared to appropriately handle similar situations as in the case study after reviewing the CLAS standards and working on this assignment.30Professional Language: Assignment contains accurate grammar, spelling, and punctuation with few or no errors.10Total Points125Total Points Earned
HSS 261 Unit 4 Individual Project References
HHS Office of Minority Health. (2016a, August 8). Think cultural health case study: Culturally tailored health care in obstetrics [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwsV09K4n0s
HHS Office of Minority Health. (2016b, August 8). Think cultural health case study: Using language access services [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxT9VILjXAU
Think Cultural Health. (n.d.). National culturally and linguistically appropriate services standards. Office of Minority Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://thinkculturalhealth.hhs.gov/clas/standards
Think Cultural Health. (2019a, May 1). Think cultural health case study: Cultural and religious beliefs [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKbXpuE6ZKA&feature=emb_logo
Think Cultural Health. (2019b, May 1). Think cultural health case study: Culturally tailored healthcare in orthopedics [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OkbcMt48ylg
