I'm not talking about being able to read. I'm referring to being culturally aware. This article points out medical care provided to minority/ethnic patients from more culturally aware health providers has a greater level of success as opposed to those professionals who are of primarily mainstream culture.
From following their protocols & maintaining their regimen, the people who were treated by professionals that were more aware of the patients culture fared better than those treated by staff apparently unaware of the patient's background. This shouldn't be any surprise. Many times, we feel as if the world is trying to 1-size-fits-all us on a continuous basis. This approach makes us feel overlooked & isolated.
We want to feel like an individual when we go to businesses, especially those providing medical care. Being aware of these things, makes the patient feel as if the provider actually has some interest in their well being. That helps them to become more self-involved with their own treatment. No one wants to feel like just another notch on the wall.
Besides the psychological, there are numerous cultural issues that may impact care. These may range from cultural perceptions of the illness to available food stuffs. HIV does not discriminate & the treatment of it can't either. We have to be aware that what works for a 30 something, middle America, White man may not work for everyone else in the world.
Cya...
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