Perspectives towards cultural competence and receptivity to cultural competence training: a qualitative study on healthcare professionals

Background: Cultural competence training plays an effective role in improving cultural competence for healthcare professionals, but cultural competence training was found to be insufficient in Hong Kong.

Aim: This study aims to explore receptivity and readiness of Hong Kong healthcare professionals (nurses, occupational therapists (OTs), and physiotherapists (PTs)) towards cultural competence training.

Methods: Twenty-three semi-structured interviews were conducted with 7 educators/trainers from tertiary institutions, 2 representatives of professional groups, and 14 managerial and frontline workers. Data were analysed using theoretical thematic analysis.

Findings: Results show that nurses and PTs have lower levels of cultural competence than OTs owing to insufficient in-depth training and the nature of professional practice, and they expressed lower willingness to receive the training than OTs. However, the staff in these three professions encounter various challenges in serving ethnoculturally diverse groups. Therefore, barriers in receiving cultural competence training and best practice for providing cultural competence training were identified and discussed for these three professions.