You might be shocked upon reading the title. Culture? In Medicine? What are the connections? Yes, you see the right title. Medicine has the cultural aspect, because physicians do not deal with machines only. In most of our work field, we deal with human beings who are tied by their culture, especially people of the East.
I read the lecture note on Cultural Aspects of Medicine by Dr. Retna Siwi Padmawati , and select this out of so many definitions of culture:
“A set of ideas and skills which are transmitted socially from one generation to the next and which regulates people’s lives and their society.”
It includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society. What interest me is that, culture is not only discussed about ideas, beliefs, and meanings, but also in what people do, as actual practices often reflect beliefs.
What benefits will physician get when they integrate cultural values with patients condition and understanding?
Surely, patients will be more open to discuss their health condition with you, due to your understandings in what they are going through. In this way, patient will listen to your advices on treatments and what they can do to achieve better health level.
Here are some of the tips to communicate between people of different cultures (race, ethnic group, socio-economic, etc.), besides good communication skills that had been taught during our first year (active listening, to be helpful and empathy, putting patient at ease, etc):
- A - avoid ethnocentrism - seeing his/her own culture to judge practices by other culture
- A - avoid chauvinism - seeing his/her own culture as the best culture for the people to adapt to
- A - avoid stereotyping - seeing the negative practices that is done by all the people in the ethnic groups
La Last but not least,
“An ideal/competence doctor, they not only owned the knowledge, skill, and experience in medicine BUT also focused on values, beliefs and integrating patients experience and world views in the caring and curing of their patients."
Cool, right?;)
