Five Cultures Currently Influencing Healthcare
Introduction
Many cultures are currently influencing the healthcare delivery system. Specific cultural factors include language barriers, education, age, gender, healthcare perception, among others. Health-related areas that are mostly affected by culture include child-bearing, parenting, vaccination, death, infectious diseases, and surgery. Cultures vary in the orientation of the various aspects such as time, personal relationship, faith, own space, and family structure. This paper will be evaluating the different cultural beliefs of five cultures; Korean, Mexican, African-American, Asian-American and Amish, and their influence on healthcare provision and delivery system.
Korean Culture
Korea has a very rich heritage. Koreans are very social and often conduct their activities as a group, rather than individually. They value social bonds, and every individual is taught the importance of creating a positive relationship with others. The culture maintains a hierarchical structure which is determined by the age and gender of the people. The Korean culture accords the dead the respect they deserve, based on their beliefs. The family unit is highly regarded while the influence of religion; Buddhism and Christianity also play a significant role in shaping their ideas on healthcare and healthcare delivery systems.
The Korean cultural belief of healthcare dramatically differs from the contemporary methods of healthcare delivery. The religion of this culture has established great superstitious ideas regarding healthcare and related fields such as child-bearing, male circumcision, among others. As a result of significant religious influence, Koreans focus more on prevention than cure and treatment. The reason why the Koreans focus on prevention first once a disease emergence is because they believe most diseases are lifestyle-related and can, therefore, be prevented.
The nursing practitioners can encourage patients of this background to continue with their practice of disease prevention through better life choice. After all, prevention is always better than cure. Some of the lifestyle choices that can help in ensuring disease prevention include indulging in indigenous foods, complex carbohydrates, drinking plenty of water, engaging in routine physical exercise, acquiring enough sleep, avoiding stress, and avoiding high-calories processed foods. However, it is also essential for nurses to offer comprehensive healthcare regardless of the cultural background of the patient, since many individuals, especially in the US are not able to practice their culture for one reason or another. As a result, lifestyle changes and cultural benefits, or hindrances may not always apply.
The Korean treatment approach focuses on entirely natural medication or remedies. They associate active treatment with psychological care to prevent post-infectious depression.
The culture and lifestyle of the Koreans have a significant influence on evidence-based healthcare practices. Many specific cultural practices go in line with the modern healthcare delivery systems; for instance, acupuncture is a common accident and injury-related remedy among the Koreans. In modern Medicine, acupuncture has undergone improvement to ensure that patients professionally receive quality services. It is an effective way of pain reduction without any form of invasion.
Mexican Culture
Mexican culture is very much similar to Korean culture in many aspects. However, some specific beliefs and practices vary from Korean. The Mexicans are a social community. They are engaged with the Catholic Church, which is under Christianity. The healing processes of the Mexicans rely on herbal sources to offer the curing or prevention benefits intended.
Similarly, modern evidence-based Medicine is slowly shifting from lab-manufactured drugs to plant-based drugs to minimize the long-term health-wise side effects of synthesized drugs. For instance, Mexicans are known for their ability to extract vitamins from various sources and using such supplements to enhance their health. Such processes are currently being used and the supplements produced are approved by the Food and Drug Agency (FDA).
The Mexicans dwell as extended families. These families engage together, such as cooking together and conducting religious processes. Most Mexicans are Catholics, while a few have retained the traditional spiritual practices of worshipping the ancestors. The Catholic religion does not have a significant influence on healthcare, as it has embraced the modern healthcare system. As a result, Mexican patients are always ready to abide by the doctor’s instruction and choice of action as they believe that that is the right way forward. However, the group that is attached to the ancestral worship is bound by certain practices, beliefs and rituals. There are many practices associated with the dead, in the name of the dead forefathers hold power to heal, to prevent disease outbreaks and to keep the people safe. As a result, the modern healthcare delivery system is highly disregarded. As a result, such individuals do not visit the hospital to seek medical intervention and eventually dies due to disease.
The healthcare system should engage in outreach and civic education in these communities to educate the people about the importance of medical interventions. The best approach is to ensure that the solution offered is in line with the cultural beliefs of the people. It is essential to ensure that people do not feel like their cultural beliefs are disregarded, as this will only cause more resistance. Instead, their culture should be respected first before the healthcare interventions are factored in. Universal healthcare is all about ensuring that all beliefs are embraced and factored in to ensure that every individual acquires a sense of belonging. At the same time, they are attended to in a healthcare facility. Since nurses are the once who spend most of the time with patients, should acquire cultural intelligence which will enable them to treat every individual with respect concerning their cultural background.
Asian American Culture
The Asian American group is comprised of a wide group of individuals in America, but originating from Asia. As a result of the origin, there are many cultural practices associated with healthcare that this culture involved with. In regards to Medicine, Asian Americans are inclined to traditional Medicine. The Chinese, for instance, has embraced the traditional Chinese Medicine, which is produced in powder, the gel of pill form. Other forms of medicines come in the form of raw herbs. Chinese and Indians in the US often prefer using their traditional modes of treatment, rather than seeking the modern way of treatment available in the American healthcare system. This is not to mean that all Asian go for traditional Medicine. However, many prefer conventional means due to their cultural background from Asia or passed on through their parents and grandparents. The diagnosis of these drugs is based on physical observation. Asian Americans also practice pulse-rate and tongue diagnosis. Diet is also an important health factor of Asian Americans. Like the Koreans, Asians believe that food is one of the leading causes of lifestyle-related diseases. In that regard, they have stuck with their traditional form of eating, which does not include carbonated drinks or any high-calorie meals. As a result, Asians can prevent many diet-related diseases. Therefore, Asians in America differ with the rest of Americans in that they do not prefer the contemporary healthcare provision methods.
Another aspect of the Asian Americans healthcare culture is the child-bearing and parenting processes. Studies reveal that Asian Americans preferences and practices of childbirth and parenting differ from other cultural groups (citation). The Asian parents are said to be more authoritative and controlling to their children, than in different cultures. The parents do not directly offer affection to their children, and often develop a distance as the child grows. The traditional Asian Confucian principle is the reason behind the strictness associated with the Americans of Asian origin.
The family culture plays a vital role in determining the type of healthcare choices Asian Americans make. The family unit is comprised of the extended family, from the grandparents to the elders and the young children. The extended unit often dwells under one roof. As a result, these ethnic group refers to a healthcare provider comes to their home, instead of them visiting a healthcare centre. The parents are responsible for assessing the health conditions of the children and the elderly. For that, culture has equipped parents with the skills of health conditions evaluations and diagnosis. The parents also get involved with the treatment process of their family process. At childbirth, parents are taught how to assess the health of their babies, and over time, they acquire the evaluation kills, which plays an essential role in the overall health of the family.
Asian Americans experience a language barrier in America. There are over twenty ethnic groups of Asians in America. Each of these groups speaks a different language. Most of these individuals are not able to speak the English language. As a result, the healthcare delivery system is affected in such manners as not understanding the doctor’s explanations or instruction. The healthcare system, on the other hand, has been fed with the misconception that this particular group is well articulated with the American healthcare system. As a result, these individuals are not comfortable to visit such facilities. The health practitioners such as the nurses, therefore, need to understand that Asian Americans face an excellent language barrier and thus require a specific form of communication, which every healthcare facility should be equipped with.
Time orientation is another cultural factor among Asian Americans. The Asians are never in a hurry to conduct their activities. They also believe that they can do several events simultaneously. On the other hand, the Native American culture requires that one handles one piece of the action at a time. That said, Native Americans are very keen on time and often arrive on time for a meeting or appointment and get down to business as fast as possible. The Asian Americans, on the other hand, can proceed to run other errands before heading for a doctor’s appointment, and on arriving late do not offer an apology. Another aspect in regards to time is that Asians being natively social groups of individual, they are first focused on developing a personal relationship with an individual before getting to the main activity. This helps in developing a sense of confidence an trust to the counterparts. However, most nurses and other health workers do not focus on the personal life of the individual but are only interested in the health-related affairs of a person. To some nurses, getting to know a patient at a personal level can be viewed as a waste of time. However, such differences in time and patient-nurse relationship are significant hindrances in healthcare provision. The health workers should study the needs and requirements of different cultures to ensure that they perform their duties with an open mind and considering each cultural need. That way, all patients will develop a sense of belonging with healthcare provision, and as a result, the overall health of a population will increase.
African American Culture
African American community is a very spiritual and religious cultural group. Christianity is the most common form of religion practised by this group, with the Methodist and the Baptist Church being the most common. However, some do practice the Islamic faith. African Americans believe that sickness is a part of life challenges, and it God who offers to heal. During times of illness, African Americans often have a particular person that they speak to, be it a family member or a spiritual guide. Whatever the case, it is essential that a nurse asks about who this individual is to their patients so that he can be called upon to speak or even pray for the patient. Even better, the nurse can be involved in the prayer session of the patient; this way, they will acquire the trust of the patient and the family. Understanding the religious background of the patient is essential for the nurse to know how the patient’s beliefs might affect their perception of the healthcare delivery system. For the Muslims, it is vital that the nurse understands the fasting times and arrange the meal plan based on prayer times.
The nurse needs to understand the African American culture to offer competent healthcare providers. For instance, death is a susceptible part of African Americans. A nurse should be aware that the family of the patient is a significant part of him/her. The family is often large, and they are all involved in making death decisions. Commonly, life support is used for as long as possible. However, African Americans do believe that death is God’s will and react or mourn in a certain way. The nurse should ensure that she makes the entire family as comfortable as possible, especially where death is involved. They believe that gas produced in some mines is capable of curing several diseases (citation).
Amish Culture
The Amish culture is unique and distinct. They do not accept health insurance policies. They do not seek medical attention as they believe that the body has a way of dealing with diseases on its own. Amish’ believe that health is a gift from God makes them not to seek medical care and immunization. They do not use modern Medicine, though they produce their supplements that aid with disease prevention. These community does not practise birth control and divorce. Thus families bear many children. They have deep faith for healing and often exercise home remedies to curb diseases and infection. Herbs have been used to cure diseases. Only when symptoms are severe do the Amish people seek medical care from herbal facilities.
The Amish lifestyle, culture and beliefs raise a lot of health concerns among the healthcare workers. Nurses should consider the Amis culture while offering medical care; they should ask all necessary questions and ask about their form of treating a specific type of diseases. The nurse can explain that the pathological processes they offer are intertwined with the Amish culture; only that one is a development of the other. As a result, the patients will develop trust for the system.
Conclusion
Many cultures affect the healthcare delivery process. It is the role of the healthcare providers to ensure that they are aware of the specific cultural differences of these groups to ensure that they make the patients comfortable. Asking the patient health-related questions will also ensure that the nurse acquires information about all the health requirements of the patient, even though it might not be related to the disease being treated. Engaging in conversations and making the patient comfortable speaking about their culture is the right way of acquiring the trust of the patient, which helps in quality healthcare provision. Healthcare facilities should also take into considerations factors such as the language barrier and ensure that the facility is equipped with the human resource for translation purposes.