Cultural Considerations In Patient Care Essay

Cultural Considerations in Patient Care Cultural competency is very important in the medical field because of the ever increasing ethnic diversity among the patient population. When cultural differences are poorly understood, it could be very disastrous leading to inaccurate histories, non-compliance, reduced participation in screenings, and decreased satisfaction with care. One culture out of many is very common here in the U.S., it is the Asian Culture. There are 17 million Asians, and that number is said to increase even more. It is important that we become culturally competent in all areas so that we can give the best care possible. Common Asian cultures include a hierarchical family structure, emphasizing on family connection as the major source of identity and protection against hardships of life rather than confrontation, and a strong sense of personal honor. In a traditional family, parents set the rules and the children are expected to loyally abide by them. One is to “only speak when spoken to, speak only if one has something important to say”. So in health care

Those who are in the U.S. have added eating chicken for their protein and others have adopted more towards American eating habits. Asians believe that exposing the sole of your foot or pointing with your foot is an anathema (someone or something that is detested or shunned) as is touching the head. Your left hand is used for personal hygiene and is therefore considered unclean, prescriptions and samples should not be offered with that hand. It is custom for Asians to have a very relaxed attitude towards time. They are Polychromic (doing multiple things at the same time), leading them to arrive late to their appointments with no apology. They believe that events run their own course and will politely need to be aware that we abide by a linear scheduling because most do not