The CLAS (Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services) Standards are important to health equity because they provide a framework for ensuring that healthcare services are respectful of and responsive to the cultural and linguistic needs of diverse patients. These standards promote health equity by addressing disparities and improving the quality of care for all individuals, particularly those from underserved or marginalized populations.
Visit the Great Plains QIN National CLAS Standards Webpage where we offer a explanation of each standard, the purpose, implementation ideas and a simple video to put it all together. Adoption of these Standards will help advance better health and health care in the Dakotas as they aim to:
1. Reduce Health Disparities
CLAS Standards aim to minimize disparities in healthcare access and outcomes. By ensuring that healthcare providers understand and respect cultural differences, they can offer more effective care to diverse patient populations, which helps reduce gaps in health outcomes between different groups.
2. Improve Patient-Provider Communication
Effective communication is crucial for providing quality care. CLAS Standards emphasize the need for language assistance services, such as interpreters or translated materials, for patients with limited English proficiency. This ensures that patients can clearly understand their care and make informed decisions, which is key to equitable treatment.
3. Promote Cultural Competence
The CLAS Standards encourage healthcare organizations and providers to integrate cultural competence into their practices. Cultural competence improves the ability to work with patients from various backgrounds, fostering trust and better health outcomes.
4. Enhance Patient Satisfaction
When healthcare providers are culturally and linguistically responsive, patients feel more understood and respected. This improves patient satisfaction, engagement, and adherence to treatment plans, which are crucial for achieving equitable health outcomes.
5. Build Trust and Reducing Bias
Cultural awareness helps reduce biases and stereotypes that might negatively affect the quality of care. By promoting culturally appropriate care, the CLAS Standards help to build trust between patients and healthcare providers, particularly in historically underserved communities.
6. Comply with Regulatory Requirements
Adhering to the CLAS Standards also helps healthcare organizations meet legal and accreditation requirements related to nondiscrimination and equal access to services, which aligns with broader health equity goals.
Wondering how your organization fares in meeting the Standards? We have developed a CLAS Assessment (following the OMH format) for organizations in the Dakotas to help measure where they are in this journey, identify needs and develop an improvement plan. This is a tool to help you and your team address communications and cultural barriers. The Assessment will take about 10 minutes to complete. Based on responses, you will devise an action plan with three actionable items to consider. Upon request, our team is available to assist. Submit this form to schedule a one-on-one conversation with a Great Plains QIN team member to learn more about the CLAS standards (as well as available tools and resources).
October is Health Literacy Month, a time when we can work together to integrate and expand the mission of health literacy – to build a world where our collective efforts will lead to health equity, where all people can attain positive health outcomes. Let’s commit to recognize the importance of making health information easy to understand and the health care system easier to navigate.