Educating health professionals for cultural competence in emergency situations: A study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Aims The current study is aimed at developing a culturally informed education program to increase cultural competence in emergencies among healthcare students and to examine its effectiveness using a randomized controlled trial. Design This is a mixed-methods study, which comprises two phases: (a) Development of educational intervention to increase cultural competence, based on a review of published scientific literature and primary data collection from qualitative semi-structured interviews with key informants; (b) Implementation and assessment of the intervention effectiveness in increasing cultural competence in health students, using a randomized controlled trial. Methods The qualitative phase will include semi-structured interviews with 10 key informants. Data will be analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. The assessment of intervention efficacy will be examined by a randomized controlled trial. This phase will include a total of 200 undergraduate health profession students who will be randomized (1:1 ratio) to intervention or non-intervention group. Both study groups will complete pre- and postintervention questionnaires assessing three principles of cultural competence: attitudes, knowledge, and skills. The study is supported by 2-year funding, beginning in September 2018. Discussion Although the importance of culturally sensitive health services has long been recognized, there is a lack of cultural competence training in the medical education system, especially in the context of emergencies. Incorporating cultural competence education into the curricula offers an appealing strategy to enhance systematic understanding of cultural diversity at the early stages of professional training. Impact The development of cultural competence training and curricula focusing on situations that may arise during emergencies may play a significant role in minimizing cultural dissonance, improve patient-provider communication, and produce better clinical outcomes.