Future Research
While the results of current studies on culturally tailored health programs (CTHPs) are inconclusive, I believe that there is promise in the use of these programs to eliminate cultural and language barriers and to diminish the ethnic disparity in health. CTHPs need to be researched further, but the studies must be better planned. Studies need to:
1. Include more patients in their study to increase sample size.
2. Include a control group of Hispanic patients in a general health program in order to determine the effect of the culturally tailored aspects alone on health outcomes.
3. Thoroughly report their methods so that they can be repeated in future studies.
4. Report the costs of the program to determine whether the program is feasible for the portion of the Hispanic population in the US that most needs it.
5. Develop effective programs that are less time intensive. This will ensure that programs do not exclude those who most need them.
1. Include more patients in their study to increase sample size.
2. Include a control group of Hispanic patients in a general health program in order to determine the effect of the culturally tailored aspects alone on health outcomes.
3. Thoroughly report their methods so that they can be repeated in future studies.
4. Report the costs of the program to determine whether the program is feasible for the portion of the Hispanic population in the US that most needs it.
5. Develop effective programs that are less time intensive. This will ensure that programs do not exclude those who most need them.