Question

Think about the impact of culture on giving and receiving medical care. Consider and discuss the cultural differences in types of acceptable and desirable medical care, the impact of culture and ethnicity on receiving health care, and the impact of those factors on providers. Come up with an example (personal experience or not) of an instance in which health care has been culturally aware and sensitive, OR an instance in which patients have received less than optimal care because their culture is not compatible with the health care they sought. Why or why not is it important for health care providers and systems to account for culture?

Answer 1

Culture has a vast impact on health care. Culture plays a wide role to define:-

• how health and illenss is viewed by patients and health care providers.
• beliefs of patients and health care providers about the causes of the disease.
• Stigmatisation of diseases. Eg: Depression is considered a stigma in some countries.
• Expression of pain and illness. etc

For example : If a health care provider knows that the patient belongs to Muslim community, so the health care provider can abstain from giving a capsule whose shell might be made up of pig's fat which is against the Islamic cultural principles.

Usually health care providers have a very positive and accomodative approach towards the influence of culture on the health of the patient. Additionally they can do the following:-

• Respect,understand and work patiently with different perceptions abot appropriate treatment.
• Try to understand what patients say.
• Accept that they might be using complementary or alternative medicines or therapy.