Beyond Cultural Competency: Considering Ethnocultural Empathy

Context Athletic trainers provide care to diverse patients, many of whom exist in a culture different from that of the athletic trainer. As health care providers it is imperative to provide patient-centered care while practicing the empathy needed to perform services best for the patient. Objective To provide a brief historical view of the need for health care provider to demonstrate cultural competence and ethnocultural empathy when caring for patients. Background Cultural competence—understanding other's beliefs, values, and differences—is one piece to quality health care. Ethnocultural empathy is the ability to not only understand but also to relate to others in these areas. Both must be practiced for complete patient-centered care. Data Synthesis By teaching ethnocultural empathy, students will demonstrate an empathetic response to diverse clients, deepening their quality of relationship. Results There is limited description of ethnocultural empathy in the athletic training literature, but for many clinicians, it is an innate characteristic that can be improved. Recommendation(s) Athletic training educators should consider ways to incorporate ethnocultural empathy into how cultural competency is being addressed to produce more culturally aware and enriched students. Conclusion(s) Integrating ethnocultural empathy into an athletic training curriculum provides deeper levels of cultural competence by moving beyond understanding and toward actionable improvement of patient relationships.