Valuing Diversity: A Resource for Health Professional Training to Respond to Cultural Diversity

It is seven years since "Valuing Diversity" was first published in 1999 to critical acclaim, winning the BUPA Foundation Medical Communication award in 2000. Experience of teaching and learning to respond to diversity in health care is a little greater since publication of the first edition but models are still evolving. The case for their development and implementation continues to be underscored by concern about inequalities in health and access to quality health care. Recent events have heightened awareness of the need for such training of health professionals. Such currents create an ever more charged and challenging environment where how we think about, and respond to, cultural diversity is of vital importance. The second edition of "Valuing Diversity" retains the original aims and approach of the first: to stimulate diversity training in curriculum by providing introductory information, materials, and suggestions for interactive learning that educators might use, adapt, or develop in their training of health professionals. Other agencies and disciplines may also find the book helpful as a source of ideas that may be used in their own contexts. The ultimate aim is to foster a generic approach to diversity by raising awareness and understanding of cultural diversity, racism, and communication, and by encouraging reflection on attitudes. The content, exercises, and materials have been updated, or revised in response to feedback, with the help of some new contributors. Several new exercises have been added, for example to enable more discussion of "identities" and of refugees. The simulated consultations on the DVD remain the same. These have been well liked and well used. Further audiovisual material will be developed if there is demand and resource for a further edition. As before, any comments on "Valuing Diversity" and feedback on experience of its use are most welcome.

Table of Contents:
Section 1: Introduction: responding to diversity in health care Section 2: Outline of training exercises Section 3: Developing teaching and learning to respond to cultural diversity Section 4: Guidance for facilitators Section 5: The nature of culture - valuing diversity and the individual Section 6: Understanding racism Section 7: Enhancing communication Section 8: Working with interpreters and advocates Section 9: Ethnic diversity in social context Section 10: Patterns of health and disease Appendix: Useful sources of reference and information

About the Author :
Joe Kai is an inner city general practitioner in Derby and Professor of Primary Care at the University of Nottingham's Graduate Entry Medical School.

Review :
Valuing Diversity has been an excellent resource in developing our programme of cultural and social diversity teaching. It comes packed with useful ideas and tips and really stretched my thinking on the subject. It is not an easy area to teach and not all the exercises will work with any one group of learners but there are so many ideas to choose from which can be adapted to one's own situation. Thanks for putting it together so clearly and effectively. Jonathan Silverman, Associate Clinical Dean, School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge