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Aetna
and the New York State District of the American College
of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Launch Cultural Competency
Program
Aetna (NYSE: AET) has awarded a $49,000 grant to the
New York State District of the American College of Obstetricians
and Gynecologists (ACOG NY) for the creation of a  cultural
competency education program to raise obstetrician-gynecologists'
awareness of cultural competency issues and promote
more equitable delivery of medical services to patients
in government-subsidized programs.
Aetna
is funding the program through its Regional Community
Grants Program for 2004 which will focus on addressing
racial and ethnic disparities in health care. The cultural
competency program will be developed and tested on 225
obstetrician-gynecologists in New York City, Long Island
and Rochester this spring before being rolled out to
ACOG's 3,600 obstetrician-gynecologists statewide.
"Cultural
competency is based on knowledge and respect for others'
beliefs and traditions," explained Marjorie Schulman,
M.D., Aetna's New York medical director. "Pregnancy,
childbirth, even routine gynecological care are entangled
in complex cultural beliefs and traditions that influence
whether a woman will seek medical care or follow through
on the advice she receives. Physicians need knowledge
of the culture, and skill in asking the right questions,
in order to help all their patients receive appropriate
care."
"Obstetrician-gynecologists
must guard against their own cultural biases as well,
and not make assumptions about a patient's beliefs based
on perceived ethnic identity," added Albert M.
Ellman, MD, FACOG, chair of ACOG NY. "This course
will teach doctors how to ask open-ended questions that
elicit honest answers, actively listen, evaluate non-verbal
cues, and become sensitive to the many cultural factors
that influence health. We'll also help them learn the
details of government-subsidized health care programs,
and where to go for interpreters and multilingual materials."
Upon completion of the course, obstetrician-gynecologists
are expected to show at least a 50 percent gain on the
Evaluator's Competency Test. The accredited course will
carry three continuing medical education (CME) units.
Disparities
in health care, even among those with insurance, are
a serious problem. Women of color outnumber their white
counterparts on many of the indicators that predict
maternal health risks according to the New York State
Department of Health's Title V 2001 application for
the Maternal and Child Health Services Block Grant.
- The
rate of adolescent pregnancy for Black and Hispanic
teens, aged 15-19, is more than double the rate for
Caucasian teens.
- African
American women have a four-fold increased risk of
maternal death compared with white women.
- Minority
women are more likely to have inadequate prenatal
care and to deliver low-birth weight babies.
Aetna
has focused its 2004 regional community grants on tackling
the problem of racial and ethnic disparities in health
care. This focus is part of a series of initiatives,
announced by Aetna in March of 2003, to assess, track
and address racial and ethnic disparities in health
care, and to develop interventions that improve the
quality of care for minority members. Aetna's multidimensional
approach includes research, educational, data collection,
and grant-making initiatives designed to enhance understanding
of the cultural diversity and language preferences of
its members and participating physicians. Aetna believes
that better understanding of disparities among racial
and ethnic groups will enable it to target educational
and outreach programs to specific populations. For that
reason, Aetna has begun collecting race, ethnicity and
language preference data from its HMO and Medicare+Choice
members on a voluntary, self-identification basis in
those states where regulatory approval has been received,
including New York.
The
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
is the nation's leading group of physicians advancing
women's health through education, advocacy, practice
and research. Ninety-five percent of American obstetrician-gynecologists
are affiliated with ACOG. Board certification in obstetrics
and gynecology is a requirement to become an ACOG Fellow.
Members include both generalists and sub specialists,
including maternal fetal medicine specialists, gynecologic
oncologists, reproductive endocrinologists and urogynecologists.
10/25/03
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