Evaluation of the perception of cultural competency assessment instrument for allied health students.

BACKGROUND: A growing effort is aimed at reducing health disparities influenced by culturally based misinterpretations between patients and health professionals. There are few validated instruments to assess students' self-efficacy of cultural understandings that are linked to pre and post testing of educational interventions. PURPOSE: To evaluate the psychometric properties of an instrument that measures perception of self-efficacy with respect to cultural competency in allied health students. METHODS: The Perception of Cultural Competency Assessment (POCCA) was developed and subsequently evaluated for reliability and validity in a convenience sample of 135 students of allied health programs. RESULTS: The POCCA demonstrated acceptable internal consistency (a = .92) and 2-week test-retest reliability of (R = .78). Four sub-scales were identified by factor analysis that accounted for 63% of total variance. The subscale a coefficients ranged from .61 to .89, and inter-item correlations varied from (R = .41-53). POCCA total scores following an educational intervention were significantly higher compared to pre-test values (p<.00001). DISCUSSION: While these findings provide support for POCCA, more refinement is warranted. The challenge remains to improve the test-retest reliability and to expand the sample to evaluate its effectiveness in a broader context.

Optimizing adherence to pharmaceutical care plans.

Adherence to pharmacotherapy is essential to optimal therapeutic outcomes. The pivotal role of the pharmacist in optimizing adherence encompasses many actions: assessing the adherence problem, identifying predisposing factors, providing comprehensive counseling, and recommending specific adherence strategies targeted to the patient's needs. Patients who have chronic conditions, physical or cognitive impairments, or cultural backgrounds outside the mainstream may have special needs that should be addressed in the adherence plan. Pharmaceutical care plans also should take into account the patient's age, stage of life, and literacy level. Although a wide range of adherence aids and strategies are available, the key to success is to tailor the intervention to the individual patient and, when necessary, to combine interventions to optimize adherence.