Implementation of Cultural Competence Education into Athletic Training Programs: A Qualitative Report

Abstract

Cultural competence education is a foundational behavior of professional practice that Athletic Training Programs (ATPs) have been tasked to incorporate into their curriculums. Ten ATP faculty were individually interviewed to determine the current methods used to teach provision of culturally competent care. Four major themes were identified: 1) Barriers to cultural competence education implementation in a didactic setting, 2) Strategies for incorporation into an existing didactic curriculum, 3) Barriers to cultural competence education in a clinical setting, and 4) Strategies to implement cultural competence education into an existing clinical model. Further research is necessary to determine the effectiveness of specific strategies.