SLS Publications Launches "Care for the Hispanic Patient" Continuing Education Program

Lakeland, FL, February 13, 2016 --(PR.com)-- Hispanics comprise over 17% of the population of the United States. By the year 2050, the number of Hispanics in the U.S. will reach 25%. In 2060, they will be almost 1 in 3 people! U.S. healthcare providers are not just facing indisputable demographic trends; they also confront statistics that show minority populations are not receiving the same quality care as their fully integrated peers. Integrating immigrant patients into the U.S. healthcare system can significantly improve health outcomes. It starts with cultural awareness.

If you are a healthcare professional, how important is cultural competency training? Consider the following...

Have you heard of the “healthy immigrant effect?” Can you recognize the greatest health risk factors for Hispanics? Do you know why many Latinos don’t participate in preventive care? Do you want to know how to reduce nuisance visits to the emergency room?

The need for cultural competency training in the healthcare field - where all people of all backgrounds come together at moments of distress - is obvious. The stakes are high: the patient's health and wellbeing. When a patient is suffering from discomfort, pain or injury, it's more challenging yet even more critical to get it right.

What are the special risks to Latino immigrants in managing their healthcare needs in the U.S.? The list is extensive. For one, Hispanics tend to suffer more frequently and severely from a number of serious health conditions such as cervical cancer, new HIV infections, childhood asthma and obesity. Furthermore, 10 percent of Hispanics have been diagnosed with diabetes, compared to 6.6 percent of non-Hispanic whites. They’re also twice as likely to die of the disease. The disparity also extends to medical care as Latinos undergo more diabetes-related amputations than non-Hispanic whites, indicative of delayed interventions. Physicians are less likely to detect depression in Hispanics, and Hispanic children are twice as likely not to receive all their medications.

But healthcare providers do not have to be bilingual to prevent these problems. Did you know that about 94% of communication is non-verbal? An understanding of cultural behaviors can work wonders to improve healthcare outcomes.

How can cultural upbringing impact a community's health and wellness? Healthcare outcomes are affected by such things as how long patients wait before seeking care; their ability to recognize symptoms of disease; whether they apply self-care and how effective or dangerous it is; and whether they have primary care or are practicing preventive care. The benefits of health screenings are clear—conditions identified in their early stages can be treated before reaching a critical stage.

Addressing these problems is a challenge that author Lori Madden, Ph.D. of SLS Publications has embraced by designing cultural competency courses for those on the front lines. "Care for the Hispanic Patient" is a 2 hour online CE course for licensed healthcare professionals. "We are proud of the quality of content and delivery," commented Dr. Madden about the course, "and we believe this training will be a useful tool for any hospital, clinic or medical office serving Latino communities. Education and outreach is key to integrating minority populations into the U.S. healthcare system and improving health and wellness outcomes."

Dr. Madden adds, "Let's not forget that immigrant communities are especially vulnerable to the abuses of human trafficking and domestic violence. I learned more than I wanted to about these insidious activities when researching our law enforcement projects, and I saw a relationship between these silent victims and the U.S. healthcare system. We feel strongly that a single culturally informed healthcare professional can be the catalyst between a victim and salvation."

Course topics include reaching out to patients through cultural awareness; accurately processing immigrant records; special issues in diagnoses; use of alternative remedies; protecting victims from abuse; communication methods; improving bedside manner; and outreach.

"Care for the Hispanic Patient" is currently available at https://slspublications.com/healthcare. Those who would like more more information about Care for the Hispanic Patient can visit the SLS website at https://slspublications.com/healthcare_programs_description. Institutional discounts are available.