Hmong Stroke Knowledge Survey.

The Hmong are an ethnic group from Southeast Asia who migrated in large numbers to the United States after the end of the Vietnam War and are now clustered in several parts of the country, including our city. Based on a retrospective review of medical records and on our anecdotal experience, we suspected that there was a gap in stroke knowledge in our Hmong patients. This stroke knowledge survey was intended to uncover any knowledge gaps within the Hmong community before engaging in community awareness activities. Not only did the survey identify a knowledge gap, it also revealed significant linguistic and cultural gaps that we believe are important to share with the reader.

Hmong Cross-Cultural Adaptation of Stroke Educational Material.

BACKGROUND: The presence of significant cultural and language barriers can affect timely, effective dissemination of stroke education for Hmong patients. Our aim was to design stroke educational material suitable for the Hmong community, using culturally sensitive strategies and patient education best practices. METHODS: We collaborated with the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association to adapt existing English educational material for use among Hmong patients. A team of experts in stroke care, patient education, and interpreter services-along with Hmong community members and health care providers-modified the original documents for health literacy and cultural relevance. The revised materials were translated into Hmong. Final edits were made using feedback from the Hmong community. RESULTS: Eight patient education documents on stroke-related topics were disseminated throughout our health care system and shared with various regional community partners for Hmong patients. DISCUSSION: Incorporating cultural humility principles is key to providing effective patient education tools for reducing disparities and engaging at-risk populations in disease prevention.