Demystifying cultural competence in the physiotherapy profession : a scoping review and concept analysis

Date
2023-03
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Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
ENGLISH SUMMARY: Background: The ability to engage with patients from different cultural backgrounds and worldviews is accepted as a fundamental skill in healthcare professions, including physiotherapy. The term cultural competence is a critical principle in numerous international policies on healthcare and training outcomes of students as a mechanism to strengthen healthcare provision towards patient-centred care. Aim: This study explores defining attributes of cultural competence in physiotherapy practice to better understand the meaning structure and dimensions. Methods: A scoping review methodology with a concept analytical framework was used to describe the use of the term and its derivatives and the meaning structure in terms of antecedents, defining attributes, consequences, and empirical referents. The methodology included five steps, namely (1) motivation for selecting the concept, (2) identifying the research question and objectives, (3) identifying the relevant papers, (4) study selection, (5) charting the data, collating, summarising, and reporting the results. Five electronic databases were searched for information published from 2007-2021 to achieve this. The last search was done in August 2021. Results: Ten journal articles were included in the review, mainly from the UK and Australia. The term most frequently used in the literature is cultural competence. Antecedents, defining attributes and consequences of the concept of cultural competence were identified in the concept analysis. Defining attributes were categorised as cognitive or socio-behavioural competency, which can impact intrapersonal, interpersonal, organisational, societal levels or a combination of two or more levels. Eight competencies were respectively identified in both the cognitive and socio-behavioural domains. The competencies of reflection on one’s cultural background, values and acknowledgement of different worldviews and the mastery of cultural knowledge, values, beliefs, and behaviour of the ‘other’ are underlined in the included papers in the cognitive domain. Furthermore, the competencies in the socio-behavioural domain of incorporating individualised culturally competent care based on respect, trust, acceptance, empathy, and accountability in practice are most frequently discussed. Conclusion and implications: The central findings of this study demystified the concept of cultural competence in physiotherapy practice by highlighting eight cognitive and eight socio-behavioural attributes. Furthermore, these 16 attributes were spread across different levels of manifestations, namely on the intrapersonal, interpersonal, organisational, and societal levels. The findings provide a theoretical grounding for cultural competence by identifying its defining attributes in the physiotherapy literature to date. Physiotherapists need to learn how to develop the cognitive and socio-behavioural competencies of cultural competence. Healthcare environments need to provide them with adequate support to develop the skills and behaviours to provide culturally competent care to clients. Healthcare institutions must incorporate culturally competent care into their philosophy and goals and provide resources, instruments, and training to improve physiotherapists’ ability to provide culturally competent care.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Agtergrond: Die vermoe om met pasiente van verskillende kulturele agtergronde en wereldbeskouings te werk, word gesien as ‘n fundamentele vaardigheid in meeste gesondheidsberoepe, insluitend fisioterapie. Die term kulturele bevoegdheid word gesien as ‘n sleutelbeginsel in verskeie internasionale beleide in gesondheidsorg, sowel as opleidingsuitkomste van studente en as ‘n meganisme om gesondheidsvoorsiening te versterk in terme van pasient-gesentreerde sorg. Doelwit: Die doelwit van die studie is om die konsep van kulturele bevoegdheid in die konteks van fisioterapie praktyk te verken en om beter die betekenis strukture en dimensies te verstaan. Metodes: Die metodologie van ‘n omvangsbepalingsresensie en konsep analitiese raamwerk is gebruik om die gebruik van die term en die afgeleides, sowel as die betekenis strukture in terme van die voorgangers, definierende eienskappe, gevolge en empiriese referente. Die metodologie het vyf stappe ingesluit, naamlik (1) motivering vir die konsepseleksie, (2) identifisering van die ondersoeksvraag en objektiewe, (3) identifisering van die relevante artikels, (4) studie seleksie, (5) versameling, opsomming en verslagdoening van die resultate. Om hierdie te bereik, is vyf elektroniese databasisse deursoek vir bronne van informasie wat gepubliseer is tussen 2007-2021. Die laaste soektog is in Augustus 2021 gedoen. Resultate: Tien joernaal artikels is ingesluit in die resensie en die artikels het meestal ontstaan van die VK en Australie. Die term wat meestal in die literatuur gebruik is, is kulturele bevoegdheid. Voorgangers, definierende eienskappe en gevolge van die konsep van kulturele bevoegdheid is geidentifiseer in die konsep analise. Definierende eienskappe kan as kognitiewe of sosio-gedragsbevoegdhede gekategoriseer word, wat op ‘n persoonlike, interpersoonlike, organisiasiele, sosiale of ‘n kombinasie van twee of meer vlakke ‘n impak kan he. Agt bevoegdhede was afsonderlik in beide die kognitiewe of sosio-gedragsdomein geidentifiseer. Die bevoegdhede van refleksie op ‘n mens se eie kulturele agtergrond, waardes en erkenning van verskillende wereldbeskouings en die bemeestering van kulturele kennis, waardes, oortuigings en gedragte van ‘ander’ is beklemtoon in die artikels ingesluit in die kognitiewe domein. Verder, die bevoegdheid in die sosio-gedrag domein van inkorporering van individualiseerde kulturele bevoegde sorg gebasseer op respek, vertroue, aanvaarding, empatie en aanspreeklikheid in die praktryk is meetal bespreek. Gevolgtrekking en implikasies: Die sentrale bevindinge van hierdie studie ontsyfer the konsep van kulturele bevoegdheid in die fisioterapie praktyk deur agt kognitiewe en sosio-gedragsbevoegdhede uit te lig. Hierdie 16 bevoegdhede was versprei oor verskillende vlakke van manifestasies, naamlik interpersoonlike, organisiasiele en sosiale vlakke. Die bevindinge verskaf ‘n teoretiese begronding vir die konsep van kulturele bevoegdheid deur die definierende eienskappe in die fisioterapie literatuur te bestudeer. Om kulturele bevoegde sorg te verskaf aan kliente, moet fisioterapeute leer hoe om die kognitiewe en sosio-gedragsbevoegdhede van kulturele bevoegdheid te verskaf en gesondheidsorganisasies moet hulle met die nodige ondersteuning verskaf om die vaardighede en gedragte te ontwikkel. Gesongheidsorg instellings moet kulturele bevoegde sorg in hulle filosofie inkorporeer en doelwitte, hulpbronne, instrumente en opleiding beskikbaar maak om fisioterapeute se vermoe te verbeter om kulturele bevoegde sorg te veskaf.
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Thesis (MScPhysio)--Stellenbosch University, 2023.
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