Cultural Awareness in Emergency Response Teams: Assessment of Cultural Competencies Knowledge and Training

Abstract

Background/Introduction:WHO EMTs play an important role in providing assistance and health care services to countries hit by an emergency or a natural disaster. Therefore, EMTs are subjected to vastly different cultures from various countries, meaning they require training to cultural awareness, an understanding and acceptance of the languages, beliefs, cultures, and morals of those receiving care. The World Health Organization (WHO) has published minimum standards for Emergency Medical Teams (EMTs), which briefly mention that the senior EMT team member must have some knowledge of cultural awareness. However, there is no requirement for cultural awareness training for EMTs prior to responding to disasters.Objectives:The goal of this study is to determine the presence of cultural awareness training, and if present, what are the competencies covered by the training for the WHO EMTs.Method/Description:A survey will be distributed to Accredited WHO EMTs to capture the presence for cultural awareness training and the core competencies of the existing training.Results/Outcomes:Data expected to be collected and analyzed by October 1, 2022.Conclusion:Cultural awareness training is a crucial and beneficial skill for EMTs while deploying internationally. For WHO EMTs, it is essential to respond internationally in an accepted and ethical manner; cultural awareness training should be a requirement for all teams deploying to a foreign country. A cultural awareness curriculum will create more efficient EMTs that provide effective aid to countries in need.