Improving your cultural awareness with culture clues.

When the University of Washington Medical Center (UWMC) administered a survey to gauge patient education support needs among staff, the results indicated a need for cultural competency. Using action methodology and needs assessment, the committee charged with developing a tool to meet this need launched a new concept: Culture Clues. These brief documents provide culture-specific patient information, allowing staff to approach patients according to their culture. The committee created six Culture Clues and is developing more.