Skip to Content

Active Offer and Cultural Competencies in Health Services

Advanced Path

Learning objective

Understand the influence of culture on health and the essential role of active offer and cultural competencies in delivering equitable health services for Francophone minority communities.

Introduction

Active offer and cultural competence are fundamental to ensuring accessible, safe and high-quality French-language health services for Francophone communities in minority settings. They help eliminate cultural, linguistic and other barriers that may prevent members of minority groups from accessing equitable health care.

 

  • Culture has a significant influence on health. It shapes perceptions of health, illness and death; beliefs about the causes of illness; approaches to health promotion; and the way illness and pain are experienced and expressed. It also influences where patients seek care and the types of treatment they prefer. Both health professionals and patients are influenced by their respective cultures.

     

    Cultural competencies

    Cultural competencies involve recognizing that a person’s culture and beliefs may differ from your own. They involve self-awareness, attentive listening, and building relationships based on respect, inclusion and the acknowledgement and valuing of differences. Cultural competencies require:

    • Recognizing that cultural differences exist
    • Understanding your own values and beliefs to avoid imposing them on others
    • Being aware of your own biases and setting them aside
    • Learning about the characteristics of different cultures or subcultures, as culture shapes how a person seeks help and communicates problems or concerns
    • Applying your cultural knowledge to communicate effectively
    • Demonstrating curiosity, motivation, and a willingness to engage with people from other cultures

     

    For health care workers

    For health care workers, cultural competencies involve using knowledge and skills to provide effective care to patients from diverse cultural backgrounds. Each care provider must be aware of their own cultural background and demonstrate openness toward the culture of their patients. They should use abilities, skills and strategies to overcome biases and focus on culturally appropriate interventions.

    Patients do not expect health care professionals to be fully familiar with their country of origin, beliefs, or values. However, it is important that health care personnel be able to recognize differences and demonstrate a willingness to understand and respond to patients’ needs.

     

    Additional resources

    Common Definitions on Cultural Safety. Public Health Agency of Canada. June 2023.

    Diversity in Health Care Organizations, Wagner, J. (Ed.). 2018. Leadership and Influencing Change in Nursing. Chapter 2. Regina, Saskatchewan, University of Regina Press. https://ourspace.uregina.ca/handle/10294/8296.

  • Quiz

    Feedback :

    The correct answer is:

    c) Cultural competencies are used to break down cultural barriers.

    Active offer and cultural competence are fundamental to ensuring accessible, safe and high-quality French-language health services for Francophone communities in minority settings.

  • Go to Next Objective

    Putting Active Offer into Practice: Strategies and Helpful Tips