Cultural Understanding and Healthcare

Paper Summary:

The paper looks at Anne Fadiman's book "The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down" that relates the tragedy of three-month-old Lia Lee that was due to cultural misunderstandings. The paper examines the situation today, a decade after the book was written, and reveals that since the U.S.' demographics are changing so quickly, it does not appear that enough is being done to promote change. The paper discusses how to solve the communication and cultural understanding issues of diverse groups and stresses the need for collaboration.

From the Paper:

"Bringing a family member to the emergency ward is difficult enough, even when speaking the same language as the staff. As soon as someone walks into the ER, he/she is bombarded with questions regarding insurance, injury/illness history, and medication contradictions. In the meantime, the intended patient is waiting in pain. Even in this scenario, communication often breaks down because of stress and concern. This process becomes much more complicated when someone comes to the ER who speaks an unknown language and has a different cultural perspective. Miscommunication can endanger the person requiring care."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Compton, B., Galaway, B., & Curnoyer, B. R. (1994). Social work processes (7th ed.).Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole.
• Gladwell, M. (2002). The tipping point: How little things can make a big difference. Boston: Little Brown
• Gutierrez, L. M. (1995). Understanding the empowerment process: Does consciousness make a difference? Social Work Research, 19, 229-237.
• Hasnain-Wynia, R., and Pierce, D. (2007). Practicing Evidence-Based and Culturally Competent Medicine: Is it Possible? Virtual Mentor 9:572-578.
• HRSA Cultural Competence (2005). Website retrieved November 27, 2007.http://www.hrsa.gov/culturalcompetence/

More papers on Cultural Understanding and Healthcare:

• Essay # 45745 : "Cultural Diversity and Nursing"
• Research Paper # 15977 : "The Romani and Healthcare"
• Book Review # 115236 : "Cultural Competence in Medicine"

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