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Australian Journal of Primary Health Australian Journal of Primary Health Society
The issues influencing community health services and primary health care
REVIEW

Establishing components of cultural competence healthcare models to better cater for the needs of migrants with disability: a systematic review

Sarah Jamison Olaussen A C and Andre M. N. Renzaho A B
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Migration, Social Disadvantage, and Health Programs, Global Health and Society Unit, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, 89 Commercial Road, Melbourne, Vic. 3004, Australia.

B School of Social Sciences and Psychology, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW 2751, Australia.

C Corresponding author. Email: sjamison@mcm.org.au

Australian Journal of Primary Health 22(2) 100-112 https://doi.org/10.1071/PY14114
Submitted: 4 December 2014  Accepted: 22 September 2015   Published: 11 January 2016

Abstract

This study examined the challenges of providing services to migrants with disability (MWD), including healthcare providers’ (HCP) level of cultural competence, and documented components of the cultural competence framework required to reduce disability-related health inequalities. This systematic review was undertaken according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). Six databases were searched from January 2000 to August 2013: Ovid Medline, Ovid PsychINFO, EMBASE, CINHAL plus, Informit health databases and Scopus. The search focused on MWD, carers of MWD and HCP working with MWD in industrialised countries. The search yielded 271 articles of which 11 met the inclusion criteria (10 qualitative and 1 quantitative). While HCP perceived themselves as being culturally competent, carers of MWD felt that HCP needed to be more culturally competent as MWD’s needs were not being adequately addressed due to cultural misunderstandings and disrespect of cultural values, beliefs and traditions. The review found one existing healthcare model intended for use with MWD; however, the lack of specific attention to cultural competency limits its clinical utility. The findings of this review led to the development of suggested components to be included in a cultural competence model for HCP working with MWD.

Additional keywords: healthcare professionals, health service providers, migration, refugee.


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