An Introduction to Structural Competency for Haitian-Identified Patients: History, Culture, and Access to Care

Date of Review: July, 2023

This resource is a one-hour, single session workshop describing Haiti and Haitian history, as well as health issues and disparities facing Haitians who live in the U.S. and Haiti. It primarily consists of a Powerpoint presentation (accompanied by a detailed facilitator guide), which contains 45 slides with a substantial amount of information on the history of Haiti and Haitians’ health. In addition, the session includes a brief (~3 minute) video on trauma in the Haitian community. Later on, there is a case-based discussion of two fictional patients. In general, I would recommend this resource for health care learners at any level who could benefit from learning about the history, culture, and risk factors in patients of Haitian heritage. The resource presents a substantial amount of information, but not so much as to overwhelm learners, and can be adapted to sessions that are shorter (or longer) than the original 60-minute workshop. The resource can also help health care team members differentiate the Haitian community (many of whom are immigrants) from other Black communities in the U.S. Potential limitations include the fact that the resource may have limited relevance in communities with low numbers of Haitian patients, and the potential need to update some health statistics to remain current in future years (e.g. some slides present data from the year 2017). Overall, however, the resource’s potential value and highly feasible implementation make it worthy of consideration. –Dave Liss, PhD, NCEAS

Corresponding Author’s Email:

Nicholas.n.brutus@gmail.com

Institution:

Albany Medical College

Where was the Curriculum Implemented:

New York state (New York Medical College, Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University)

Outcomes that Have Been Reported for the Curriculum:

Self-reported learner knowledge

Measured in learner knowledge

Outcome and Study Design:

Pre/Post