Solution for NJ Physicians Now Needing Cultural Competency for Licensure
NEWARK, New Jersey –- April 6, 2005 – With the recent passing of Senate Bill S144, it is now a requirement for New Jersey physicians to complete a course in cultural competency for licensure. Quality Interactions is a great solution for physicians, residents, hospital and medical school administrators – who must now consider the training of whole organizations in an efficient and effective way. Quality Interactions, developed by three physician thought-leaders in the field of cross-cultural care – Drs. Joseph Betancourt, Emilio Carrillo and Alexander Green, is an innovative e-learning program that provides cultural competency training for physicians and nurses in a case-based, evidence-based format. It highlights the key elements of their nationally recognized, cross-cultural curriculum published in the Annals of Internal Medicine (Cross-Cultural Primary Care: A Patient-Based Approach. Ann Intern Med. 1999;130:829-834). The program can be completed at home or at work, at the learner’s own pace, and is accredited for 2.4 hours of continuing medical education credits.
The Institute of Medicine has cited cultural competency training as one approach to addressing health disparities from the clinical perspective. Quality Interactions allows physicians and nurses to interact with patients to assess several real cases from a cross-cultural viewpoint and provides real-time performance feedback as the learner moves through the course. Quality Interactions also provides a strong framework for administering good patient-centered care and makes the legal, business and medical case for implementing culturally competent care.
The first 1900 physicians and nurses who used the program were surveyed and close to 80% of participants felt it increased their understanding, would improve patient care, and they would recommend the program to colleagues. Quality Interactions has been utilized to train physician and nursing groups at large hospitals and managed care organizations – in a short timeframe and with easy execution.
Contact: tessa.misiaszek@qualityinteractions.org
Phone: (978) 807-1058
