RESPECT

What is most important when you engage with patients is that you remain open and maintain a sense of respect for diverse patients. The RESPECT model can help you remember what factors to consider engaging patients in a culturally and linguistically competent manner. These factors are important throughout assessment, diagnosis, and treatment.

Understand how respect is shown within given cultural groups. HCPs demonstrate this attitude through verbal and nonverbal communications.

Devote time in treatment to understanding how patients perceive their presenting problems. What are their views about their own symptoms? How do they explain the origin of current problems? How similar or different is the HCP’s perspective?

Recognize how class, race, ethnicity, gender, education, socioeconomic status, sexual and gender orientation, immigrant status, community, family, gender roles, and so forth affect care.

Acknowledge the power differential between patients and HCPs.

Express, verbally, and nonverbally, the significance of each patient’s concerns so that they feel understood by the HCP.

Elicit patients’ concerns and apprehensions regarding help-seeking behavior and initiation of treatment.

Commit to behaviors that enhance the therapeutic relationship; recognize that trust is not inherent but must be earned by HCPs. Recognize that self-disclosure may be difficult for some patients; consciously work to establish trust.