SOCIO-POLITICAL IMPLICATIONS IN PHYSICIAN CULTURAL COMPETENCE AND LATINO CROSS-BORDER HEALTH CARE UTILIZATION: A REVIEW OF THE CURRENT LITERATURE

Abstract

This paper examines the manner in which socio-political climate, primarily the stigmatization of immigrants, impacts health outcomes and the prevalence of cross-border healthcare utilization for Latinos in the United States. Stigma stemming from public support for immigration reform has implications in Latino health at the structural, interpersonal, and individual level. The harmful attitudes lead to overt discrimination and implicit personal biases that affect the ability of physicians to provide culturally and linguistically appropriate services (CLAS). Previous studies on Latino health experiences indicate that a multitude of interrelated factors influence the decision to receive healthcare in Mexico, including dissatisfaction of care and language proficiency, but no direct connection has been made to interpersonal discrimination or cultural incompetence. Cultural competence education for physicians that involves political awareness is one positive step towards improving disparities in the U.S. healthcare system (Tervalon and Murray-García 1998; Evans 1992).