CULTURAL COMPETENCE IN CARING FOR AMERICAN INDIANS AND ALASKA NATIVES

Course overview

CULTURAL COMPETENCY IS PRIORITIZED WHEN PROVIDING CARE TO AMERICAN INDIAN/ALASKA NATIVE (AI/AN) PATIENTS DUE TO THE HIGHER LIKELIHOOD OF INCREASED MORTALITY RATES WITHIN THIS POPULATION, AS THEY ARE MORE FREQUENTLY AFFECTED BY TYPE 1 DIABETES AND OTHER CHRONIC DISORDERS. PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIANS MUST IMPLEMENT PREVENTIVE MEASURES, INCLUDING EARLY INTERVENTIONS SUCH AS REFERRING PATIENTS TO NUTRITIONISTS, CONDUCTING REGULAR BLOOD GLUCOSE CHECKS, AND INITIATING EARLY SCREENING FOR CHRONIC UNCONTROLLED HYPERTENSION, RENAL DISEASE, CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES, AND CANCER. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE CLINICAL AND PUBLIC HEALTH CHALLENGES EXPERIENCED BY AI/AN PATIENTS, EMPHASIZING THE CRUCIAL ROLE OF INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAMS IN EVALUATING AND TREATING THESE CONDITIONS AND ADDRESSING ASSOCIATED ADVERSITIES.