Panel provides guidance for connecting with multicultural patients
ORLANDO — A panel of women entrepreneurs, led by Diana Canto-Sims, OD, discussed the importance of eye care providers recognizing and removing barriers to differences in language and culture among their patients, here at Vision Expo East.
Canto-Sims is the co-owner of Buena Vista Optical, brand ambassador and designer for La Vida Eyewear, and a member of the Vision Council’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Task Force.
The panelists, who Canto-Sims said practice in areas considered to be cultural melting pots, included:
- Arlene Segovia, marketing manager of trade communications at Transitions Optical;
- Lina T. Arango, OD, an independent doctor with LTA Vision;
- Jennifer Tsai, OD, founder and owner of Line of Sight Vision; and
- Nwamaka Ngoddy, OD, CEO of Anwuli Eyewear.
Canto-Sims asked the panel to discuss the importance of cultural competence to quality eye care.
“It is so important to attain a certain level of cultural competence in the practice solely because you can provide an exceptional patient-provider experience,” Segovia said. “It does not mean that you need to be well-versed in all Hispanic subgroups, but it would be beneficial for you and your patients if you’re familiar with the patient profile that’s walking in. It goes beyond language; it’s about customs.”
She added that, in Hispanic culture, you aren’t meeting one or two patients, but a family unit, and if you are located in an area with a high Hispanic population, you might need to rethink what the customer journey looks like.
“It’s also important to have great cultural competence in your practice because it improves compliance,” Ngoddy said. “As a doctor, you’re making recommendations, and if the patient feels that you understand where they are coming from, they are more likely to connect with you and comply.”
Segovia and Canto-Sims also noted the importance of recognizing language barriers and making accommodations in office and marketing materials.
“You need to have that conversation as a group, with your employees, to expand understanding,” Tsai said. “It provides you with more empathy and more compassion and allows you to build a better connection with your patients. If you have patients that do not speak the same language as you, having a translator — even Google Translate — can be tremendously helpful.”
Arango advised that even without learning a full language, learning some key words and differences in dialects among local languages can help patients better understand instructions and products. Ngoddy said that while she does try to hire bilingual staff, she also learned some basic Spanish to make sure patients, “feel invested in the outcome of their exams.”
The panel next addressed cultural blindness — the belief that race and culture make no difference in how service is provided — and how it shows a lack of personal interest.
“With cultural blindness, you’re making the assumption that everyone is the same,” Ngoddy said. “But what I find in our profession is that people’s stories matter. When you consider everyone the same, what you recommend may not be appropriate for their lifestyle or work, and you may be causing them future issues.”
“That’s the beauty of diversity, to be able to understand that we are all different,” Arango said. She said while all patients should expect the same quality of eye care, professionals should recognize that not everyone is the same and may have different eye care concerns based on race or cultural lifestyle factors.
The panel also spoke about the benefits they have experienced from adapting their multicultural patients’ customs. One benefit they all expressed was the number of referrals they receive because of family ties. Each panel member shared personal anecdotes in which they recognized patients regularly visiting from other countries such as Mexico or Nigeria because of referrals.
“If you’re looking to grow your practice, word of mouth is a beautiful, very cost-effective way,” Canto-Sims said.
She concluded by advising physicians to take stock of policies and procedures that may be offensive or could repel the different cultures you may wish to see as patients.
Editor’s note: On June 7, 2021, this article was updated to correct the spelling of Diana Canto-Sims, OD’s, name and to correct the spelling of Buena Vista Optical.
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Canto-Sims D, et al. EYE2EYE Series: Removing barriers between you and your multicultural patients. Presented at: Vision Expo East; Orlando, Florida; June 2-5, 2021.
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