National Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS) Standards in Health
Of utmost importance to the public health practice in the contemporary world, is the principle of equity for all persons. Within the confines of this principle is the need to address the health disparity noted among persons from the minority cultural groups within USA. A major step to this aspiration was the development National Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS) Standards.Primarily, the CLAS standards are vital in the improvement of healthcare access through making healthcare practice cultural sensitive (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, 2017). In essence, this discussion revolves around one of these standards that resonates with the equity principle of public health.
Precisely, the CLAS standard that resonates with my interest in public health (equity principle) is the principle standard. According to U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, (2017) the principal standard directs that medical facilities shouldprovide effective, equitable, respectful and comprehensible quality services tailored to the diverse cultural and language needs. Through this standard, health care professionals have the opportunity of reaching out the minority cultural groups, which in most cases remain forgotten.
In closure, a rationale for the implementation of this standard is also worth noting. The implementation of this standard is not only beneficial to the client but also to the organization putting the standard into action. Such is the case given that implementation of this standard will increase both the consumer and staff satisfaction levels. While the consumer levels of satisfaction are dependent on the ability of health professionals to offer care in a cultural friendly manner, the staff levels of satisfaction are achievable through their increased cultural competency(Arizona Health Disparities Center, 2014). As such, based on these illustrations, it is apparent that implementation of this standard is solely anchored on the interest of the consumer and staff of the organization.
References
Arizona Health Disparities Center. (2014). Implementing CLAS Standards and Improving Cultural Competency and Language Access. Arizona Health Disparities Center.
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services,. (2017). CLAS Standards. Think Cultural Health. Retrieved 14 July 2017, from https://www.thinkculturalhealth.hhs.gov/clas/standards
