A Social Work Centered Approach to Culturally Appropriate

Abstract

Navigating the healthcare system could prove arduous for the average  person, and even more daunting for immigrants, minority and vulnerable persons. Similarly, the proficient delivery of healthcare services that promotes total well-being to help achieve desired health outcomes can also be a cumbersome process for healthcare providers attributable to the enormous task of  ensuring equitable access to healthcare. Prevailing impediments in accessing healthcare include language barriers, lack of transportation, low health literacy, payment access, cost of accessing healthcare, culture, gender disparities and mistrust of healthcare providers. The increasing impact of culture on accessing healthcare cannot be overemphasized. While several scholarly works expound on culturally appropriate healthcare and endeavor to address the barriers to accessing healthcare through a clinical or public health lens, a social work-centered approach has not been adequately used in the existing literature on culturally appropriate healthcare. This article  introduces a unique viewpoint and framework by exploring culturally appropriate healthcare through a social work centered lens. It offers insights on how healthcare providers, clinicians, and social workers can position themselves to foster culturally responsive healthcare through grounding holistic assessments to help clients access healthcare that honors client identity, mitigates disparities, and fosters trust.