1. Healthcare in a multicultural context „Health ideology and health-care providers have learned that it is just as important to understand the patient’s culture as it is to understand the physiological repsonses in illness, disease, and injury…A lack of knowledge of patients’ language abilities and cultural beliefs can result in serious threats to life and quality of care for all individuals.” –L.D. Purnell, Transcultural Health Care: A Culturally Competent Approach

2. Culturally sensitive, competent healthcare delivery is directly dependent on clear, unambiguous communication among all involved individuals*

3. Healthcare belief systems across cultures
Culture and ethnicity create unique patterns of beliefs and perceptions relating to well-being and the cause, prevention, and cure of illness*
Supernatural/magico/religious
Holistic
Scientific/biomedical

4. Supernatural/magico/religious
Disease is thought to result from the active intervention of supernatural beings or evil humans
A disease is seen as a punishment rendered by a supernatural agent
Haitians believe that some diseases are brought about by evil spirits displeased with some action that the person has done
Treatment of illness by folk healers and prayer*

5. Considers an entity not as discrete parts but as an integrated whole
Holistic
Considers an entity not as discrete parts but as an integrated whole
An individual is a whole composed of interdependent parts: physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual
What happens to one part of the body also influences all the others
Concerned with a person’s entire well-being
„maintaining harmony is the driving force in Navajo life.” S. Caesar
Followers of Taoism believe that good health requires maintaining a balance between the opposing forces of yin and yang
Mexicans balance „hot” and „cold” foods*

6. Scientific/biomedical
Rests on the premise of cause and effect
Human body is seen in a biological and chemical context
The cause and effect of illnesses, diseases, disorders can be determined through careful observation and study
Medicines and therapy are used to manipulate the body’s physical and biochemical processes
Primary cause of illness—pathogens (bacteria, viruses)*

7. Illness prevention across cultures
What might be some different approaches to preventing and treating lower back pain?

8. Death and Dying across cultures
In the west, patients are continually urged to execute advanced healthcare directives to specify desired treatment and procedures should they become incapacitated
In the Navajo culture, even the mention of death is thought to invite it*
*from Communication between cultures, Larry A. Samovar et Al. Cengage learning 2017