Letter from the Director of Evaluation

August 2007
To Our Readers:

While Colorado is a relatively healthy state, racial and ethnic minorities experience higher rates of chronic diseases and receive less health care than the rest of the population. According to the Institute of Medicine (IOM, 2002) report, Unequal Treatment: Confronting Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health Care, “although myriad sources contribute to these disparities, some evidence suggests that a trend in bias, prejudice and stereotyping on the part of health care providers may contribute to differences in care.”

Recognizing these disparities, The Colorado Trust funded a seven-year (2005 to 2012), $13.1 million Equality in Health initiative to reduce health disparities in Colorado. As part of the initiative, 26 nonprofit organizations and educational institutions across the state were awarded funding to reduce racial and ethnic health disparities by increasing the cultural competency of individuals and organizations that serve diverse populations. Early on in the initiative, grantees requested resources to help them understand and explore ways to improve cultural competency and address disparities in their communities; this annotated bibliography provides these resources.

While other annotated bibliographies on cultural competency are available, this document fills a unique niche by including web-based links that are often-cited, as well as specific resources and strategies from noted authors in the field that will be useful to organizations in addressing cultural and linguistic competency. Additionally, it includes articles and reports to help people understand health and health care disparities and inequalities that exist in the United States.

This bibliography provides 71 citations for journal articles, books, special reports and web-based resources that describe racial and ethnic health and health care disparities, along with models and concepts of cultural and linguistic competency strategies that have been put forth as a way of addressing these disparities. It also includes a list of frequently utilized assessment tools and performance measures for individuals and organizations, and cultural competency training curricula and educational resources. Direct links are provided to the majority of the resources cited. Each citation includes a brief description of the resource’s content. And, at the back of the annotated bibliography, there is an index of materials cited by authors.

Sincerely, Nancy B. Csuti

 

 

Nancy B. Csuti, DrPH
Director of Evaluation
The Colorado Trust