Cultural competency, human genomics, and the elimination of health disparities.

It is unclear what impact human genomics research will have on the nation's efforts to close the gap in health disparities between and among racial/ethnic and disadvantaged groups. The literature suggests that understanding socio-economic and cultural factors are important for understanding the complex issues offer by genetic explanations of racial/ethnic differences. While this research will lead to tremendous improvements in health status of the overall population, its impact on reducing health disparities is likely to be minimal. Establishment of culturally competent systems of care, in contrast, offers great promise for reducing and eliminating health disparities.