Self-administered instruments to measure cultural competence of health professionals: a systematic review.

Background: Tools that measure knowledge, attitudes, and skills reflecting cultural competence of health professionals have not been comprehensively identified, described, or critiqued.

Summary: We systematically reviewed English-language articles published from 1980 through June 2003 that evaluated the effectiveness of cultural competence curricula targeted at health professionals by using at least one self-administered tool. We abstracted information about targeted providers, evaluation methods, curricular content, and the psychometric properties of each tool.

Improving health care quality for racial/ethnic minorities: a systematic review of the best evidence regarding provider and organization interventions.

Background: Despite awareness of inequities in health care quality, little is known about strategies that could improve the quality of healthcare for ethnic minority populations. We conducted a systematic literature review and analysis to synthesize the findings of controlled studies evaluating interventions targeted at health care providers to improve health care quality or reduce disparities in care for racial/ethnic minorities.

Methods: We performed electronic and hand searches from 1980 through June 2003 to identify randomized controlled trials or concurrent controlled trials.

A systematic review of the methodological rigor of studies evaluating cultural competence training of health professionals.

Purpose: To systematically examine the methodological rigor of studies using cultural competence training as a strategy to improve minority health care quality. To the authors' knowledge, no prior studies of this type have been conducted.

Method: As part of a systematic review, the authors appraised the methodological rigor of studies published in English from 1980 to 2003 that evaluate cultural competence training, and determined whether selected study characteristics were associated with better study quality as defined by five domains (representativeness, intervention description, bias and confounding, outcome assessment, and analytic approach).

Cultural competence: a systematic review of health care provider educational interventions.

Objective: We sought to synthesize the findings of studies evaluating interventions to improve the cultural competence of health professionals.

Design: This was a systematic literature review and analysis.

Methods: We performed electronic and hand searches from 1980 through June 2003 to identify studies that evaluated interventions designed to improve the cultural competence of health professionals.

Effectiveness of hospital staff mass-casualty incident training methods: a systematic literature review.

Introduction: Recently, mass-casualty incident (MCI) preparedness and training has received increasing attention at the hospital level.

Objectives: To review the existing evidence on the effectiveness of disaster drills, technology-based interventions and tabletop exercises in training hospital staff to respond to an MCI.

Methods: A systematic, evidence-based process was conducted incorporating expert panel input and a literature review with the key terms: "mass casualty", "disaster", "disaster planning", and "drill".