Cultural and Social Diversity as Major Issues in the Delivery of Health - Essay Example

Most effective health management is usually the result of research of the given population prior to the implementation of the program. Conducting research on the population offers a wealth of data on how to approach cultural competence with regard to the population (American Association of College of Nursing, 2009). It will be critical in equipping the manager with knowledge on expectations, beliefs, and cultural settings of the populace being studied. It is not practical to believe that a certain population requires a given service unless the research is conducted to determine the need.

One way of being culturally competent is the identification of the needs of a given populace (Rose, 2011). It is also critical to train health managers on the appropriate approaches for reaching out to populations that need to be researched. People will usually reject approaches when they are deemed to be inflexible, unfair, and noninclusive and hence the need for training on those aspects. The identification of the needs for reevaluation and gaps in knowledge is what entails health management.

Socio-economic factors and demographics are fairness factors critical for success in health management. Health management should not be done to benefit those that can afford it since it will reach only a small segment of the populace while the majority will be locked out. Health managers need to be in possession of enough capacity in order to accommodate even persons who do not have the financial resources if the essence of the project is to be achieved. Conclusion Cultural and social competence comprises the knowledge of the populace according to language, demographics, economic factors, beliefs, age among others.

It involves the health manager being aware of the social and cultural orientation of persons that need health care. Cultural competence is acquired through a process and over time. Training and exposure to people from different backgrounds are particularly crucial in this process. It is through reaching out to people that are different and interacting with them that a health manager becomes more culturally competent. It is through this competence that the health manager will be able to offer effective health services while respecting other people’s practices and beliefs in professional practice.