Question

This week, you will prepare for your ethical and cultural inquiry. Consider how culture can impact healthcare decisions and outcomes. Read the following article from the Western Journal of Medicine: Galanti G. A. (2000). An introduction to cultural differences. The Western Journal of Medicine, 172(5), 335–336. doi:10.1136/ewjm.172.5.335

Discuss the following:

1. Do you agree with the writer's premise that treating patients with respect is not enough, and it is necessary to learn about the specific customs of other cultures in order to provide quality health care? Explain your reasoning and provide examples.

2. Do you think there is a danger in stereotyping when discussing cultural norms? Explain and provide examples.

3. Which cultures and customs are you most familiar with?

4. Does culture play a significant role in the healthcare issue that you are researching? Explain.

Answer 1

• Yes, I completely agree with the writer’s perspective that treating patients with respect is not always enough. Infect one must have some knowledge about the culture and cultural differences of the patient. It is important for the nurses and the physicians to learn about some customs of cultural groups as it reduces the probability of misunderstandings. Moreover, it can built up trust among the patient and physicians which can improve patient outcomes. For example: The Aboriginal people in Australia have different cultural beliefs. They consider eye contact and slang as disrespectful and dishonorable so a person treating these patients must have specific knowledge about their cultural beliefs. It can maintain their cultural dignity and facilitate cultural safety.
• Stereotypes are very common in the society. However, stereotyping when discussing cultural norms is highly dangerous. Every person is unique but looking at every person through same eye can make them feel disrespectful. People with a single culture are often stereotyped with similar behavior. For example, Irish people tend to complain less about pain. Information about this cultural practice can save some serious medical emergencies as physicians use one eye to look at each and every patient.
• I am familiar with the Asian culture and their traditional practice of coining. This practice involve the use of a hot coin on the back of patient to remove pain from the body. The Mexican, Chinese, Iranian and Filipino culture people have a custom of hearing the prognosis of disease prior to the patient. The family members decide whether the information is to be delivered to the patient or not.
• Yes, culture play an important role in the healthcare issues such as generalization. These issues can be highly misleading and harmful for the patients. It is important for the physicians and the nurses to have proper cultural knowledge about the patients as it can reduce the chances of stereotyping. This can enhance cultural safety and improve patient-physician communication.