Cultural competence described the ability of organizations and providers to efficiently deliver quality health care services that meet the linguistic, social, and cultural needs of their patients. On the other hand, health literacy is the level to which a person can understand, obtain, and process basic health services and information that are essential when making appropriate health decisions. A proper understanding of health literacy allows the reader to gain a greater meaning and depth in the context of culture. The issue becomes extremely important because of the linguistic and ethnic diversity of the country. According to the 2010 census, about 210 million people of European descent and about 70 million people from more than nineteen other cultural and ethnic groups in the US ( Coleman, Hudson, & Maine, 2013) . Most of the diverse American populations have different systems of belief regarding illness and health. The essay will evaluate the significance of cultural competence and health literacy and their effect on health outcomes.
Analysis of the Issue
Cultural health beliefs influence how people feel and think about their health issues, how they react to recommendations regarding their lifestyles, and where they seek health care. Moreover, cultures also differ in communication styles, the meaning of gestures and words, and how they discuss certain issues such as illness, body, and health. Health literacy needs mutual understanding and communication between healthcare providers and the culturally diverse population. Both health literacy and cultural impact affect healthcare encounters ( Lie et al., 2012) . Culture offers the context through which understanding and meaning is acquired from a message or information and offers the goal through which people comprehend and understand options for treatment and diagnoses ( Ingram, 2012) . A deeper understanding of the interconnection between literacy and culture offers insights into how the diverse populations in the country make, know, and comprehend informed decisions about their health based on valid information.
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The intersection between health literacy and cultural competence is confirmed by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The HHS set standards urging healthcare organizations to avail patient-related materials that easily understood and available according to the languages of the most encountered ethnic and cultural groups. Other than being culturally responsive, the standards state that the patient related materials should also address the literacy levels of consumers and patients. Issues of learning, culture, and language are interrelated, and for the healthcare system to be effective, health education should be implemented in linguistically and culturally appropriate techniques that address the needs of the increasingly multilingual and multicultural population ( Lie et al., 2012) . Family, cultural, and social influences shape and influence beliefs and attitudes. Ultimately, they affect health literacy. The society and culture act as a lens through which people evaluate the assumptions, underlying values, and a mix of opportunities regarding the health system.
Health literacy is important for successful maintenance of wellness and health, self-care of some chronic conditions, and access to care and the use of medication and care. Health literacy is essential to healthcare because it requires patients to have an active role in management and decisions. However, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) reported that over ninety million of the population or about half the adult population have inadequate health literacy skills necessary to comprehend and act on the available health system demands and information. Also, only 12% of the adult population can perform complex tasks such as calculating employees’ share of their health insurance costs ( Ingram, 2012) . Individuals with inadequate health literacy may be overwhelmed because their abilities and skills are challenged by the complexity and demands of healthcare information. Ultimately, all health care organizations should have a health campaign focused on improving the health literacy in the country.
People with high health literacy will have less difficulty understanding their health conditions, are more able to manage chronic conditions, will use preventive health services, and will receive better health care services. Moreover, they are less likely to have inappropriate or unsafe use of over the counter and prescription medications. Besides, patients with low literacy levels are highly likely not to follow instructions on health maintenance behaviors and medication. On the other hand, a culturally competent system will improve the quality of care while improving health outcomes. Various studies reveal that ethnic and racial minorities are disproportionately burdened and affected by common chronic conditions ( Lie et al., 2012) . Also, it will contribute to minimizing or eliminating ethnic and racial health disparities. Some of the strategies that can assist the US healthcare system to achieve such goals involve offering relevant training on cross-cultural and cultural competence issues to all health professionals while formulating policies that will minimize or eradicate linguistic and administrative barriers to quality health care.
The essay evaluates the significance of cultural competence and health literacy and their effect on health outcomes. According to the 2010 census, about 210 million people of European descent and about 70 million people from more than nineteen other cultural and ethnic groups in the US. The census data regarding the linguistic and ethnic diversity of the country emphasizes the significance of health literacy and cultural competence. Low cultural competence and health literacy have adverse effects on patients’ health status because they may not follow instructions on health maintenance behaviors and medication. It is the responsibility of healthcare organizations and providers to ensure that they take measures to address the needs of patients who have low health literacy levels ( Coleman, Hudson, & Maine, 2013) . Furthermore, they should ensure that their staff is culturally competent to address the current and future needs of a multilingual and multicultural society.
References
Coleman, C. A., Hudson, S., & Maine, L. L. (2013). Health literacy practices and educational competencies for health professionals: a consensus study. Journal of Health Communication , 18 (sup1), 82-102.
Ingram, R. R. (2012). Using Campinha ‐ Bacote’s process of cultural competence model to examine the relationship between health literacy and cultural competence. Journal of Advanced Nursing , 68 (3), 695-704.
Lie, D., Carter-Pokras, O., Braun, B., & Coleman, C. (2012). What do health literacy and cultural competence have in common? Calling for a collaborative health professional pedagogy. Journal of health communication , 17 (sup3), 13-22.
