Educational Tools and Strategies to Improve Cross-Cultural and Language Discordant Communication in Primary Care: A Scoping Review

This scoping review aims to map and synthesize existing educational tools and strategies designed to improve cross-cultural and language-discordant communication in primary care settings. As Canada’s population becomes increasingly diverse, language barriers and cultural differences continue to contribute to inequities in healthcare access, comprehension, patient experience, and outcomes. While a range of interventions, including training modules, workshops, interpreter-focused strategies, digital tools, and community-engaged approaches have been developed, their characteristics, cultural safety components, accessibility, and reported effectiveness have not been comprehensively mapped. Using Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) scoping review methodology and reported in accordance with PRISMA-ScR guidelines, we will systematically search MEDLINE, EMBASE, and PsycINFO for empirical studies evaluating educational interventions targeting patients and/or primary care providers involved in culturally or linguistically discordant encounters. Data will be extracted and synthesized descriptively, with an intersectional health equity lens applied to assess how interventions address cultural safety, language accessibility, and structural determinants of health. Findings from this review will identify current gaps in practice and inform the development and adaptation of culturally safe, accessible educational interventions to support equitable communication in family health teams and other primary care contexts.