This report focuses on the cultural competencies in healthcare for Hispanics. It covers their cultural beliefs, values, and behaviors, traditional health practices, and cultural factors that create barriers to receiving healthcare.
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Running Head: CULTURAL COMPETENCIES IN HEALTHCARE1 CULTURAL COMPETENCIES IN HEALTHCARE Name Institutional Affiliation
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CULTURAL COMPETENCIES IN HEALTHCARE2 Introduction The Cultural diversity of the American population comes with both challenges and opportunities for healthcare in their creation and delivery of healthcare services. Cultural competencies refer to the ability of health care providers to effectively interact with people of different cultures and deliver healthcare services that meet the linguistic, cultural and social needs of these cultural groups. Understanding the specific needs associated with different cultural groups can improve the delivery of health care services and improve the quality and outcomes of health care. Some of the cultural groups within the American society include African Americans, Asian Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans, recent immigrants, and LGBT group. This report focuses on Hispanics. Cultural Believes Values and Behaviors. Hispanics are known to have strong cultural beliefs, values, and behaviors distinct for each subgroup. Spanish is the primary language used by the group. Many dialects and variations exist, but these do not create difficulties for members of different subgroups to understand each other. A mix of English and Spanish is used among the young. Communications among this cultural group are characterized by respect(Caballero, 2011). Interactions with older persons involve an element of formality characterized by less eye contact and lack of appreciation for over-familiarity in early relationships. Major cultural beliefs guiding health behaviors of Hispanics Loyalty to Extended Family
CULTURAL COMPETENCIES IN HEALTHCARE3 Hispanics believe that individuals must be loyal to the extended family. This means that the needs of the extended family should be put above the needs of an individual.Familismois the name used to refer to this concept. Before arriving at any health-related decisions, therefore, Hispanics must seek advice, direction, and encouragement from the extended family. Although this plays a role in the management of illnesses, it impairs the ability of individuals to make independent decisions(Koinis-Mitchell et al.,2014). The belief that an individual’s disease process is part of their destiny which cannot be altered Hispanics refer to this concept asFatalism.Here individuals believe that sickness is a natural part of their destiny which they cannot alter. This belief may result to non-adherence to the prescribed plan of treatment. Traditional health Practices used by Hispanics Home remedies and the use of folk healers are some of the traditional health practices used by Hispanics. Faith in God is also largely used by Hispanics in understanding health problems and possible cure. A combination of Herbal and Folk medicine is largely used. A significant number of Hispanics use primary care physicians as their prime source of healthcare. The primary care physicians are commonly referred to as cosmopolitan sources of healthcare (Long et al., 2012). Part of their traditional practices also involves sharing medications among social networks and using prayer. Cultural factors most likely to create barriers to receiving health care for Hispanics
CULTURAL COMPETENCIES IN HEALTHCARE4 Cultural barriers can be a hindrance to the effective provision of healthcare. For Hispanics, a multiple of these factors apply. Believe that sickness is part of an individual’s sickness Effective administration of healthcare begins with the acknowledgment of an existing problem within an individual’s body. For Hispanics however, they believe that sickness is a natural phenomenon that is destined to occur(Naidu, 2009). This belief can affect both the willingness to accept modern health care treatments as well as adherence to medication. Language Language is an important factor in the dissemination of healthcare services. The absence of language barriers between the patient and healthcare provider makes the process of healthcare administration more effective. A majority of the Hispanics especially the older generation speaks primarily in Spanish(Smith, Sudore & Pérez-Stable, 2009). Unless the healthcare provider understands Spanish, this can be a possible barrier to receiving health care for Hispanics. Loyalty to Extended Family Effective decision making in healthcare involves a collaborative decision-making approach between the patient and the healthcare provider. The inability of one of the parties to make decisions independently can hamper the process. For Hispanics, decisions involve consultations from the larger group meaning that individuals cannot make independent decisions. This can create a barrier to the provision of health care for the group(Ransford, Carrillo & Rivera,2010). Risk faced by organizations that do not understand the health behaviors of Hispanics
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CULTURAL COMPETENCIES IN HEALTHCARE5 Failure to meet healthcare objectives Healthcare providers often have objectives that they intend to meet when dealing with their patients. In a situation where they do not understand the diversities associated with their clients, they are less likely to address patient issues Concern. For example, if a healthcare provider fails to understand that the involvement of family members is normal for Hispanics, they are likely to discourage it hence affecting service delivery(Vaughn, Jacquez & Bakar, 2009). Failure to establish Rapport with their patients Rapport is one of the aspects that Hispanics look. They expect healthcare providers to treat them in a certain way. If the healthcare provider fails to understand to understand this, they are likely to be less effective. How this lack of understanding can negatively influence health disparities for the group. Lack of understanding of factors such as the language preference by Hispanics can negatively affect the interaction between the patient and healthcare provider. For example, the physician may fail to understand the patient’s illness due to the language barrier. Also, the patients may fail to understand the instructions given by the physician. These factors are therefore likely to affect the possibility of having the desired outcome. The lack of understanding of the mechanisms involved in the decision king process among the target group can also be a cause for potential problems(Juckett, 2013). For example, the pregnant patient required to terminate a pregnancy on medical grounds may face objections from the extended family. This may affect the delivery of healthcare service. Also, patients from different backgrounds require to be addressed in different ways. For example, Hispanics Adults need to be addressed formally.
CULTURAL COMPETENCIES IN HEALTHCARE6 Lack of this understanding by the health care providers may make them unable to understand the best communication strategies and questions to be asked to the patients. They are therefore not likely to resolve health issues affecting the patients. Conclusion In conclusion Hispanics cultural group has strong cultural value, believes and behaviors that healthcare providers need to consider. Some of these cultural factors include language involvement of family members in the decision-making process, belief that illnesses are part of an individual’s destiny and expectations for formal treatment for the older people. Some of the traditional health practices used by the Hispanics include prayer, herbal and folk medicine.
CULTURAL COMPETENCIES IN HEALTHCARE7 References: Caballero, A. E. (2011). Understanding the Hispanic/Latino patient.The American Journal of Medicine,124(10), S10-S15. Koinis-Mitchell, D., McQuaid, E. L., Friedman, D., Colon, A., Soto, J., Rivera, D. V., ... & Canino, G. (2008). Latino caregivers' beliefs about asthma: causes, symptoms, and practices.Journal of Asthma,45(3), 205-210. Juckett, G. (2013). Caring for Latino patients.American Family Physician,87(1). Long, J. M., Richard Sowell, P. H. D., Annette Baran, P. H. D., Carol Holtz Ph.D., R. N., Curtis, A. B., & Fogarty, K. J. (2012). Exploration of commonalities and variations in health- related beliefs across four Latino subgroups using focus group methodology: implications in care for Latinos with type 2 diabetes.Journal of cultural diversity,19(4), 133. Naidu, A. (2009). Factors affecting patient satisfaction and healthcare quality.International journal of health care quality assurance,22(4), 366-381. Smith, A. K., Sudore, R. L., & Pérez-Stable, E. J. (2009). Palliative care for Latino patients and their families: whenever we prayed, she wept.Jama,301(10), 1047-1057.
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CULTURAL COMPETENCIES IN HEALTHCARE8 Ransford, H. E., Carrillo, F. R., & Rivera, Y. (2010). Health care-seeking among Latino immigrants: blocked access, use of traditional medicine, and the role of religion.Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved,21(3), 862-878. Vaughn, L. M., Jacquez, F., & Bakar, R. C. (2009). Cultural health attributions, beliefs, and practices: Effects on health care and medical education.The Open Medical Education Journal,2(1).