About the Guide > Purpose

While there is widespread agreement that reducing disparities in health care is important, until recently, organizations have found little guidance on developing culturally and linguistically appropriate programs and few models of tested and successful approaches to reducing disparities.11. Schwartz, Landis, Rowe, A Team Approach to Quality Improvement. Family Practice Management. April, 1999, Vol 6, No. 4, Pages 25-30. Available at: http://www.aafp.org/fpm/990400fm/25.html. Accessed October 8, 2007. There are limited resources for organizations to share knowledge and experience in this area. This Guide will serve as a starting point for some organizations and as a bank of resources for others who already have experience in pursuing QI initiatives to improve CLAS.  

The Guide was created to provide a QI framework for health care organizations seeking to promote more culturally appropriate care, provide equitable access for individuals with limited English proficiency and reduce health care disparities.