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What Language Does Your Patient Hurt In. Introduction. Avoid Stereotypes Cultural Overview African-Americans American Indians Asians Hispanics Middle Easterners Soviet Bloc areas. Tips for a Successful Caregiver Improving Cross-Cultural Relationships.
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Introduction • Avoid Stereotypes • Cultural Overview • African-Americans • American Indians • Asians • Hispanics • Middle Easterners • Soviet Bloc areas
Tips for a Successful CaregiverImproving Cross-Cultural Relationships • Don’t treat the patient in the same manner you would want to be treated. • Begin by being more formal with patients who were born in another culture. • Don’t be “put off” if the patient fails to “look you in the eye” or ask questions about their treatment.
Tips for a Successful CaregiverImproving Cross-Cultural Relationships • Don’t make assumptions regarding the patient’s concepts about the ways to maintain health, causes of illness, or the means to prevent or cure illness. • Allow the patient to be open and honest with you by not discounting or laughing at beliefs that are not held by our Western biomedical tradition.
Tips for a Successful CaregiverImproving Cross-Cultural Relationships • Don’t discount the possible effect of the belief in the supernatural on the patient’s health and well being. • Make your questioning indirect concerning the patient’s belief in the supernatural or use of nontraditional cures • Try to ascertain the value of involving the entire family in the treatment
Tips for a Successful CaregiverImproving Cross-Cultural Relationships • Be very restrained in relating bad news or in explaining in detail the many complications that may result from a particular course of treatment. • Whenever possible, try to incorporate into your treatment plan the elements of the patient’s folk medication and folk beliefs that are not specifically contraindicated.
Tips for a Successful CaregiverCommunicating Directly with Limited English Speakers • Speak slowly, not loudly • Face the patient and make extensive use of gestures, pictures, and facial expressions. Watch the patient’s face, eyes, and body language carefully. • Avoid difficult and uncommon words and idiomatic expressions.
Tips for a Successful CaregiverCommunicating Directly with Limited English Speakers • Don’t “muddy the waters” with unnecessary words or information. • Organize what you say for easy access. • Rephrase and summarize often. • Don’t ask questions that can be answered by yes & no.
Tips for a Successful CaregiverCommunicating Directly with Limited English Speakers • Check your understanding of the patient by paraphrasing what he/she says. • Check the concept behind the word. • Don’t burden the patient with decisions he/she is not prepared to make.
Tips for a Successful CaregiverImproving Effectiveness of Interpreters • Brief the interpreter. • Explain information/ask questions in tow three different ways. • Avoid long & complicated sentences. • Keep it short. • Allow the interpreter “thought time.” • Don’t interrupt.
Tips for a Successful CaregiverImproving Effectiveness of Interpreters • Don’t be impatient • Allow for the “directness of English.” • Utilize/read gestures and facial expressions. • Remember that “culture” may cause even a professional interpreter to modify what you or the patient has said.
Tips for Improving Patient Satisfaction & compliance based on culture. • Learn about your patient’s basic health/illness beliefs and practices by asking patients about: • Food and diet • Medication • Other forms of care • The body • Belief systems
Tips for Improving Patient Satisfaction & compliance based on culture. • Consider which of the above beliefs would not interfere with your plan of treatment or be contraindicated. • Avoid, whenever possible, treatment plan that conflicts with the patient’s beliefs and lifestyle.
African-Americans • 12.1 % of population • Don’t assume only difference is skin color. • Reflect cultural roots that include African healing, medicine of the Civil War South, European medical and anatomical folklore, West Indies voodoo religion, fundamentalist Christianity and other belief systems.
Native Indians • American Indians- members of Indian tribal nations living in United States. • Alaska Native- Eskimo and Aleut population • Many continue to practice tribal religions and traditional medicine
Asians • 3.4% of US (8.7% by 2050) • Five groups • Chinese (Taiwan, Hong Kong, China) • Korean • Japanese • Filipino • Southeast Asian: Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand • Common thread: Confucian, Buddhist, Taoist
Hispanic • Artificial designation –not race or color • Largest fastest growing population • 11.6% 1999 , 24.5% by 2050 • Includes • Mexican Americans/ Chicanos • Puerto Ricans/ Boricuas • Hispanos • Cuban Americans • Latinos other Caribbean/ South American Countries
Middle Easterners • Not counted separately • Arab American • Egyptian American • Iranian Americans
Soviet Bloc Countries • Soviet Union • Yugoslavia (Bosnia) • Poland