Intercultural communication competence in the healthcare context

This study examined the intercultural communication competence of medical providers at a healthcare organization, including patient perceptions of the medical provider's ability to communicate with a diverse patient population. Surveys were given to medical providers and patients at a large healthcare organization. One survey asked medical providers to rate their own ability to communicate across cultures, and the other survey instructed patients to rate the intercultural communication competence of their medical providers. Analysis of variance and Pearson correlation coefficients were used to analyze the data from 45 medical providers and 91 patients. The findings demonstrate that empathy, bilingualism, and intercultural experience are related to intercultural communication competence.