Cross-Cultural Competence in Health Care: Development and Evaluation of a Multiprofessional Training

Culturally and linguistically diverse patients face an increased risk of developing mental health disorders due to pre- and post-migration stress and are more likely to experience unequal medical treatment and higher rates of misdiagnosis, contributing to a persistent treatment gap. Cultural competence training has been shown to improve the quality of care for these patient populations. This study aimed to develop and implement a multiprofessional cross-cultural training program within a health care setting. Developed in collaboration with subject matter experts, the training comprised seven modules and was evaluated using a mixed methods approach. A mixed methods approach was used for the evaluation. Seventeen professionals from 11 different professional groups took part in the training. Pre and post-evaluations showed significant increases in participants’ cross-cultural skills and knowledge. The qualitative evaluation showed that, according to their assessment, participants benefited from the interdisciplinary collaboration. The desire for sustainable support beyond the training was expressed. The results indicate that multiprofessional cross-cultural training is efficient in the short term for clinical workforces who are interested in the subject. To transfer the training content sustainably into the hospital work setting and to address a larger target group, we have developed a framework for cultural brokers consisting of a multi-stage training and mentoring program for employees.