Cultural competence in healthcare system of Australia: the impact on service quality and patient satisfaction

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate how medical providers’ cultural competence affects the patients’ perceptions of service quality and their satisfaction and identify whether any difference in satisfaction with received care exist between Caucasians and ethnic patients in Australia. Originality: This study is significant in drawing on empirical evidence of cultural competence outcomes and exploring disparities in culturally diverse patients’ perceptions of health service quality and satisfaction. Key literature / theoretical perspective: Two groups of theoretical frameworks in the fields of marketing and cultural competence are integrated to generate a model indicating the practical outcomes of medical providers’ cultural competence in Australia’s healthcare context. Design/methodology/approach: Data are collected from a quantitative approach surveying samples of 100 doctors and 600 outpatients from 12 hospitals located in NSW and structural equation modelling is utilized to test the relationship between research constructs. Findings: N/A (The study is still in progress). Research limitations/implications: Due to shortage in time and budget, recruiting larger sample size with participants from other states of Australia is not possible. Practical and Social implications: Based on research findings supporting the pragmatic outcomes of cultural competence, we provide recommendations for Australian healthcare system in adopting cultural competency guidelines and techniques to resolve the inequalities in delivery of service to the different groups of patients and meet health needs of diverse communities.