Question

Compare and contrast two ethnomedical systems that exist in the United States.

Answer 1

The modern two-party system consists of the Democratic Party and the Republican Party. Several third parties also operate in the U.S., and from time to time elect someone to local office. ... Some political candidates, and many voters, choose not to identify with a particular political party.

The United States (US) is home to an extremely diverse multi-ethnic society. In 2006, there were over 37.5 million foreign-born individuals living in the US, representing more than 12.5% of the total population. There is also a large population of second-generation Americans with a need and appreciation for holding on to their native cultural beliefs.

An understanding of the varied healthcare systems in use throughout the world is increasingly vital for medical personnel, as the patient population now composes not only an ethnically diverse people, but also a population with exceedingly wide-ranging healthcare belief systems . A cross-cultural understanding of healthcare beliefs is essential to providing these patients with a favorable clinical experience, and is indispensable in providing culturally competent treatment and appropriate care .

This pilot study looks at the research results of a group of university students who traveled around the world. These students were learning about healthcare systems, ethnomedicine, sanitation, and living conditions of various diverse cultures. In doing so the students learned the importance of understanding diverse cultural healthcare beliefs when treating individuals of different ethnic backgrounds.

Healthcare systems and ethnomedical beliefs

Western medicine focuses on scientific breakthroughs and cutting edge technologies. It views the body from a mechanistic approach for which medical malfunctions are fixed by altering or replacing the broken pieces (3). Yet, ‘the body is not a machine’; and in fact we now know that the body is inclined to respond and heal in a way outside of current scientific understanding.The ‘mind–body connection,’ as a traditional element of ethnomedical systems fills this void (3).

Ethnomedical systems lack the division between mind and body. Many ethnomedical systems support a belief in a singular body force or ‘bioenergy’ as the source of human health, including the traditional systems of Chinese medicine and Ayurvedic medicine of IndiaThese systems focus strongly on preventative measures and the use of natural elements such as herbs, food, and spices, as well as, exercise and massage components to heal.

Patients seeking care in Western medical healthcare facilities, but whose belief systems fall more closely into ethnomedical systems create opportunities for miscommunication, commonly misinterpreted as ethnic bias or ‘culturalism,’. In some Western hospitals in the US, traditional therapies are being incorporated, creating a ‘reverse technology transfer’ in which ethnomedical ideals are being reincorporated into US medical systems.

As US patients seek out more ethnomedical therapies, the rest of the global community is generally striving for access to Western medical care. In the future ‘no one system of medicine alone [will] provide [the] formula [to effectively] care for the entire human family,’. The incorporation of multiple healthcare systems in an effort to create complementary therapeutic care holds the key to implementing a truly valuable medical system.