Cultural Competency Toolkit (2017)

ED Clinicians ED Clinicians EMS Clinicians Patients & Families Policymakers

Cultural and linguistic competence is the ability to interact effectively with people of different cultures. Culture refers to the integrated patterns of human behavior that include the language, thoughts, communications, actions, customs, beliefs, values, and institutions of racial, ethnic, religious, or social groups (U.S. Department. of Health and Human Services, Office of Minority Health Affairs).

In terms of EMSC, providing culturally and linguistically appropriate emergency medical care that is both respectful of and responsive to the cultural and linguistic needs of pediatric patients and their families offers the potential to improve healthcare access, quality, and, ultimately, outcomes.