A column published in the New York Times looks at the issue of culturally competent care. According to the article, studies have shown that adherence to a medication or a treatment regimen is often lower than 50 percent—a figure that can drop further when there are cultural variations between physician and patient. Arthur Kleinman, MD, professor of medical anthropology and psychiatry at Harvard Medical School warns that even the term "cultural competency" can be restrictive in that it suggests that culture is not fluid and is only important for patients. Physicians themselves bring a "culture of biomedicine" that can result in misunderstandings. "What you don’t want," says Dr. Kleinman, "is doctors carrying around plastic cards listing the five things you need to think about when you see, for example, an Asian-American patient. What you want is the ability to inquire, to ask questions."
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It shouldn't be like that... but it is..
Posted by: freelance writing opportunities | August 16, 2011 at 07:52 AM