New From AHRQ — Honing Cultural and Linguistic Competence

Innovations for Building Cultural and Linguistic Competence

This page features innovative programs and quality tools for improving cultural and linguistic competence as well as reducing health care disparities for vulnerable populations, including racial and ethnic minorities. For many health issues, from heart disease, to diabetes, to cancer, outcomes for ethnic and racial minorities continue to lag. AHRQ’s 2010 National Healthcare Disparities and Quality Reports demonstrate that health care quality for racial and ethnic minorities remains suboptimal.¹ Delivering culturally and linguistically appropriate care is an important way that health care providers can address these persistent gaps. Ultimately, doing so can move organizations toward providing high-quality care to vulnerable populations in a way that they can access and understand, leading to improved health outcomes.

The profiles and quality tools presented here provide a wide range of innovative models for advancing cultural and linguistic competence. Many of the programs address the principles and activities outlined in the National Standards on Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services adopted by the Office of Minority Health. The page also includes perspectives from leaders in the field, definitions of related concepts, and links to additional resources.