Multicultural Medicine

Question 1

What is culture?

Answer 1

It is the learned and shared values of a particular group that:
Guides thinking 
Action
Behaviours 
Emotion 

The norms and customs that are learned

Question 2

What is cultural sensitivity?

Answer 2

Ability to be open to learning about and accepting of different cultural groups

Question 3

What is multiculturalism?

Answer 3

Recognition that society is pluralistic and their is a dominant culture, but also many others based around ethnicity, sexual orientation, geography, religion, gender and class

Question 4

Why is culture important to the delivery of healthcare?

Answer 4

Influences patients beliefs, attitudes toward care and trust in the system and GP

Cultural differences affect how health information and healthcare services are receives, understood and acted upon

Question 5

What are 3 influences of culture in health care?

Answer 5

Misunderstandings in diagnosis or in treatment planning due to language or culture differences

Poor patient adherence to treatment

Healthcare disparities

Question 6

Give examples of healthcare disparities?

Answer 6

Death rates from lung cancer are higher in black men than white men

Ethnic minority of women with breast cancer have poorest survival rates

Question 7

What are the different attitudes to treatment/healthcare usage?

Answer 7

Difference ethnic groups have different patterns of health service usage

I.e. South Asian patients having less control over their asthma and distrust in GPs

Question 8

How can assumptions made hinder healthcare?

Answer 8

Assumption made after initial profile of a patient based on our past experience

When assumptions are about cultural issues, they can be a serious barrier to communication, treatment and management

Question 9

Name 6 cultural barriers that could exist during a consultation

Answer 9

Lack of knowledge 
Fear and distrust 
Bias 
Stereotyping 
Language barriers
Differences in perceptions and expectations 
Situations

Question 10

What is cultural competence?

Answer 10

The understating of diverse attitudes, behaviours, practices and communication patterns due to variety of factors (race, ethnicity, religion, mental ability, age, gender etc)

Question 11

What are 3 aims of cultural competence in healthcare?

Answer 11

Eliminate misunderstandings in diagnosis or in treatment that could arise from cultural/language barriers

Improve patient adherences with treatment

Eliminate healthcare disparities

Question 12

What are the three bases of developing cultural competence?

Answer 12

Knowledge: know meaning of culture and importance
Attitudes: respect
Skills: Eliciting patients’ explanatory models of illness

It is a continuum

Question 13

What are 3 steps in Eliciting patients’ explanatory models of illness?

Answer 13

1. Asking Q’s to find out patients understanding of their illness
2. Having strategies for identifying and bridging the different communication styles
3. Having skills for assessing decision-making preferences and role of family