About the Guide > Glossary of Terms

Cultural and linguistic competence: Cultural and linguistic competence is a set of congruent behaviors, attitudes, and policies that come together in a system, agency, or among professionals that enables effective work in cross-cultural situations. ‘Culture’ refers to integrated patterns of human behavior that include the language, thoughts, communications, actions, customs, beliefs, values, and institutions of racial, ethnic, religious, or social groups. ‘Competence’ implies having the capacity to function effectively as an individual and an organization within the context of the cultural beliefs, behaviors, and needs presented by consumers and their communities.11. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health, National Standards for Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services in Health Care: Final Report. Washington, DC March, 2001. Available at: http://www.omhrc.gov/assets/pdf/checked/
finalreport.pdf. Accessed October 4, 2007.

Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS): Health care services that are respectful of and responsive to cultural and linguistic needs.11. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health, National Standards for Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services in Health Care: Final Report. Washington, DC March, 2001. Available at: http://www.omhrc.gov/assets/pdf/checked/
finalreport.pdf. Accessed October 4, 2007.

Health Care Organization: A public or private institution involved in any aspect of delivering or financing and arranging for health care services.

Health Care Disparity: A difference in treatment provided to members of different racial or ethnic groups that is not justified by the underlying health conditions or treatment preferences of patients.22. Institute of Medicine of the National Academies. Smedley, Stith and Nelson Eds. Unequal Treatment: Confronting Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health Care. National Academies Press. 2003.

Health Disparity: Differences in the incidence, prevalence, mortality, and burden of diseases and other adverse health conditions that exist among specific population groups in the United States. (The National Institutes of Health)

Provider: An institution or organization that provides health care services. Examples of providers include hospitals, clinics and home health agencies.33. The National Committee for Quality Assurance, Standards for the Accreditation of MCOs© 2005. Washington, DC, 2005.

Practitioner: A professional who provides health care services and is usually required to be licensed as defined by law.

Quality Improvement (QI): In this guide, QI includes any change in an organization’s design, programmatic offerings, benefits, delivery system structure and administrative or clinical processes designed to improve health care quality or customer experiences. This includes efforts that specifically address cultural or linguistic competence and focus on reducing disparities in health care.