Research

• Spiritual-Based Intervention
  for African American Women with Breast Cancer
  The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of a
  spiritual -based social support intervention on enhancing
  treatment-related outcomes for African- American women
  with breast cancer.
  Contact: Diane R. Brown, PhD, 973-972-4383,
  Institute for the Elimination of Health
  Disparities at UMDNJ/School of Public Health
  
  http://www2.umdnj.edu/iehdweb/index.htm

• New Jersey Medical School Cross-Cultural Medical Interpreter Project
  This project pursued the development and standardization of a cross-cultural curriculum
  to train volunteer medical interpreters for health facilities in New Jersey. Twenty-three volunteers representing over 15 languages finished training with a special curriculum designed by the UMDNJ.
  A comparative analysis on pre and post knowledge and learned skills of participants was conducted. Results showed the participants improved their translating skills and their cultural competency. Satisfaction surveys showed that patients and physicians were all very satisfied with the interpreting services of this pilot project. These results are positive indications about the need and feasibility of developing a Standardized Medical Interpreter Curriculum for New Jersey medical facilities.
  Contact: NJDHSS, Office of Minority and Multicultural Health
  
  http://www.state.nj.us/health/commiss/omh/index.shtml

• Providing Adequate Interpreter Services to Limited English Proficient Patients In New Jersey: Needs Assessment and Policy Recommendations
  The primary goals of this survey project are to 1) assess whether current interpreter services in New Jersey’s public hospital system are adequately meeting the needs of the 873,000 people in New Jersey who are limited in English proficiency (LEP); and 2) make actionable policy recommendations on how best to meet the needs of New Jersey’s LEP patients. A cross-sectional survey of a representative sample of all hospitals in the state of New Jersey was conducted and a conference to discuss the policy recommendations of this survey occurred on June 17, 2004 at Edison College in Trenton. Contact: NJDHSS, Office of Minority and Multicultural Health
  
  http://www.state.nj.us/health/commiss/omh/index.shtml

• Survey of Cultural and Linguistic Competency in New Jersey’s
  Healthcare Academic Settings
  The goals of the survey were to 1) identify the extent to which New Jersey is preparing its future healthcare professionals to provide culturally and linguistically appropriate services, and 2) make recommendations to increase the teaching of cultural competency in healthcare education programs as a method to ensure access to and quality of services provided for New Jersey’s diverse racial/ethnic populations. Fifty-one healthcare educational programs in New Jersey were targeted with a survey used to ascertain whether theses programs address issues pertaining to cultural and linguistic competency in their curriculum. There was a 61% response rate and results indicated only 6% required students to take a course in cultural competency while many schools seemed unclear about what a cultural competency course is. Findings suggest that there needs to be standardization in terms of
  what a cultural competency course entails, such that this may be implemented and evaluated.
  Contact: NJDHSS, Office of Minority and Multicultural Health
  
  http://www.state.nj.us/health/commiss/omh/index.shtml