A new Institute of Medicine report critical of racial disparities in health care cited a HRSA-funded project, The Provider's Guide to Quality & Culture, as a resource for health care professionals seeking to provide high-quality, culturally appropriate care.

An interactive web-based tool, the guide helps health care providers examine their own cultural beliefs, attitudes and biases as well as learn more about how cultural differences may affect clinical outcomes.  In addition, the guide offers tips to help health care professionals provide culturally appropriate care.

The guide, which focuses on safety, effectiveness, patient-centeredness and equity, was developed in response to the 2001 IOM report “Crossing the Quality Chasm: A New Health System for the 21st Century.”

The latest IOM report, Unequal Treatment: Confronting Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health Care, found compelling evidence that America’s minorities “tend to receive lower-quality health care than non-minorities, even when access-related factors, such as patients’ insurance status and income, are controlled.”

The report, released March 20, found that these disparities often contribute to higher death rates among minorities.  “Although myriad sources contribute to these disparities, some evidence suggests that bias, prejudice, and stereotyping on the part of health care providers may contribute to differences in care,” the report states.

To view HHS Deputy Secretary Claude Allen’s statement about the March 20 IOM report, visit http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2002pres/20020320a.html.

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