Assessing the Influence of Hispanic Patient's Perception of Physician's Cultural Competence on Patient Satisfaction

Physician's cultural competence is important in healthcare because it helps improve quality of care as well as address healthcare disparities among minorities. Additionally, it positively correlates with patient satisfaction, which has been shown to increase treatment adherence and improve medical outcomes. This study investigated the effect of physician's cultural competence on patient satisfaction in a Latino population and how these compared to a European-American population. Physician's Cultural Competence for Patient Satisfaction (PCCPS) scale developed by Dr. Ahmed was utilized in this study. The PCCPS scale deconstructed physician's cultural competence into five subcategories: Macro-cultural, Proxemics/Chronemics, Language, Patient-centered Cultural Competence, and Patient Satisfaction. This scale and various demographic questions were incorporated into a survey that was distributed amongst participating patients. Gathered data was analyzed to determine which demographic factors and subcategories of physician's cultural competence were more relevant or important when interacting with patients that have distinct cultural backgrounds, such as Latino and European-American. Findings from this study will add to building a foundation of evidence in health care that advocates for a more holistic approach to medicine and incorporates cultural competence as an important determinant to predicting health care outcomes.