NCAFP/F Health Disparities Initiative

To help improve health care outcomes across all cultures, the NCAFP is conducting the second phase of a six-year initiative aimed at improving cultural competency among physicians delivering family medicine and primary care services. The initiative is being funded by the NC Health & Wellness Trust Fund Commission.

Improving cultural competency

During the grant period of 2006 through 2009, the NCAFP reached over 1,500 family physicians, medical students and residents through educational sessions at their meetings. Some examples of topics include, "Addressing Language Access Issues in Your Practice," "Treating Diabetes in an Emerging Hispanic Population" and "Understanding HIV and Its Affect on Disparate Populations." Through a partnership with the Carolinas Center for Medical Excellence, the NCAFP enrolled 122 physicians in the Office of Minority Health’s online curriculum "A Physician's Practical Guide to Culturally Competent Care" based on the Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS) Standards. In addition the NCAFP enrolled 5 practices to participate in an intensive practice-based initiative. Each practice was assessed on the CLAS standards and then provided technical assistance to improve their compliance within 2 years.

2009-2012 Key Project Goals

• Increasing physician knowledge of risk factors of disparate population groups related to cancer, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.
• Increasing physician understanding and awareness of cultural differences and how these differences may impact adherence to best practices and patient behavior; and working with physicians to determine successful strategies to enhance physician-patient communication through culturally and linguistically appropriate services
• Disseminating models of successful physician collaboration and outreach with disparate population groups related to health behavior changes.
• Providing outreach and assistance to other NC medical specialty organizations in regards to educating their members on CLAS (Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services) and disparate populations, creating health disparities policies and implementing outreach efforts in their communities.

Key Activities & Processes

• Ongoing development and implementation of a comprehensive educational curriculum to improve physician knowledge & understanding of health disparities and how to provide culturally & linguistically appropriate services.
  • Most of these activities will take place at the NCAFP Winter, Spring and Summer meetings each year. Events will also take place at other medical specialty meetings such as the N.C. Academy of Physician Assistants and the N.C. Pediatric Society.
• Utilizing a 90-minute online "Understanding and Addressing Healthcare Disparities" curriculum for healthcare providers. The curriculum will be available for the first two years of the grant and will be accessed from the NCAFP website at www.ncafp.com/healthcaredisparities.
  • The curriculum is approved for 3 AAFP prescribed credits and is also approved by the North Carolina Nurses Association for 1.5 nursing credits.
• Developing targeted practice-based initiatives at the local level in up to eight primary care practices. Project staff will work with these practices to train them more intensively on the CLAS Standards and cultural competency.
  • This effort will include a detailed CLAS assessment that will measure the practices' level of compliance with the guidelines. At two points during this time, a patient satisfaction survey will be given out to patients at the practice to evaluate the impact and effectiveness of the practice-based project.
• Collaborating with other HDI grantees and medical specialty associations in North Carolina to provide resources and education related to the CLAS Standards, culturally competent care and engaging physicians at the local level.