Cultural competency education for healthcare professionals: an umbrella review

BACKGROUND: Cultural competency is essential for delivering effective and equitable healthcare to increasingly diverse societies. Education and training aim to equip healthcare professionals with the skills and knowledge necessary to provide culturally sensitive care. This umbrella review synthesizes the evidence on cultural competency education for healthcare professionals, focusing on its components, delivery methods, effectiveness, and methodological challenges. METHODS: Following the Joanna Briggs Institute guidelines, a comprehensive search of five databases identified 12 systematic reviews. Data on the educational content, delivery methods, theoretical models, and outcomes were extracted. Methodological quality was assessed using AMSTAR 2. RESULTS: A total of 12 systematic reviews were included, published between 2005 and 2023. Educational content ranged from general cultural concepts (e.g., communication and sensitivity) to culturally specific practices. Delivery methods included lectures, interactive learning, immersive experiences, and digital tools such as virtual reality. Theoretical frameworks provided structured foundations for interventions. Learner outcomes such as improved cultural knowledge and attitudes were predominantly positive, whereas patient outcomes were evaluated less frequently and showed mixed results. Methodological limitations included unvalidated tools and limited meta-analyses, contributing to limited generalizability of findings. CONCLUSIONS: Cultural competency education effectively improves healthcare professionals' competencies but requires better evaluation of patient-centered outcomes. Addressing these methodological gaps will enhance the evidence based practice, and support the development of feasible, effective strategies for improving education and care quality in diverse healthcare settings. Trial registration The protocol for this study was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42024586821).