Cultural sensitivity and health care

English 101
Cultural Sensitivity and Health Care Essay
Comparing and Contrasting Chinese and Spanish Culture on Health Care
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Abstract
Every culture in the world has certain ways of handling sicknesses that attack their members, from the causes, treatment, and cure. It is human nature to seek out the elements that will be able to restore our health. This study will look at the practices, beliefs, and values held by the Chinese and the Spanish people on the subject of health care, comparing and contrasting how these two cultures view health care services both in the traditional and modern treatment methods, and their perception of health care facilities and providers. The cultures cover a lot of elements in terms of healthcare interventions both from a traditional viewpoint and integrated one. Since the topic of culture is wide, this study will concentrate on only three elements: family life and members’ role in handling health, the role of religion and spiritualism, and diagnosis and treatment. The study is arranged in three parts, the introduction, body of the study and conclusion.
Keywords: culture, family life religion, diagnosis and treatment.
Comparing and Contrasting Chinese and Spanish Health Care
Introduction
The beliefs held by patients and their families have a big impact on any clinical care that the patient receives in a health care center. The culturally held beliefs may prevent, delay, or complicate medical care given to a sick person. And since every culture has its own understanding on the causes, treatment procedures, and healthcare providers; it is important for healthcare providers to understand these widely held beliefs as they determine the reception of healthcare preventive measures, promotions, and interventions (Jeffreys, 2015).

In this essay, I will compare and contrast the Chinese and Spanish cultures on health care and since the subject is wide, I will limit the discussion to cultural beliefs, family life, diagnosis and treatment and religion and spiritualism.
Chinese and Spanish Cultures on Health Care
Cultural Beliefs on Healthcare
The Chinese healthcare practices revolve around the belief of the connection between the human body and the environment. A healthy person has a balance between the two creating a ‘yin and yang’ effect around the qi life energy. In the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) healthcare is viewed from a holistic point, such that diagnosis and treatment of the patient is all about correcting the imbalance as opposed to just treating the disease.
On the other hand, the Spanish culture picked the Greek belief system on healthcare where good health involve balancing the four humors which are; the human blood, bile both black and yellow, and phlegm. The balance is also seen in terms of cold and hot, so when someone is sick, it simply means one is out of balance and that person is either too cold or too hot. And similarly, to Chinese practices, treating ailments is simply restoring the balance.
Family Role
In Chinese culture, healthcare is a patriarchal role often performed by the oldest male family member. This male member makes all the decisions on healthcare services on behalf of the whole family. This information is important to nurses and other medical practitioners while handling patients from different cultures, for instance for the discuss the patient’s health with this figurehead. According to the Chinese culture, it is rude and inappropriate to burden the patient by discussing the nature of the illness.
And although Spanish societies are patriarchal, the mothers are in charge of providing healthcare for their family members. Daughters learn the traditional herbs and treatment concoctions from their mothers, and they will teach their daughters. In cases of complicated and prolonged treatment, it is the mothers’ job to convince the men of the need in seeking further guidance from the physicians.
Diagnosis and Treatment
Treatment of diseases in both Chinese and Spanish cultures involves traditional healers who prescribe herbal medicines and food items meant to restore the body’s balance. Treatment is not only for the current exhibited symptoms but the general well-being of the patient. The herbal medicines restore balance and health and come from medicinal trees collected from forests. Others include powders, pills, and tinctures extracted from certain animals and plants (Hoeve, Jansen, & Roodbol, 2014).
Diagnosis of the illness takes shape in different forms, either by talking to the patient or the family members who describe the symptoms or looking at characteristics displayed, and at times employing ancient arts, for the Chinese it is the art of pulse and tongue reading, while the Spanish use the traditional healer (curandero) to read and recognize, interpret, and treat the illness using the traditional medicines.
Religion and Spiritualism
In both the Chinese and Spanish cultures, religion and spiritualism play an important role in discerning the cause, interventions, and treatment processes for the sick people. Most Hispanics are Roman Catholics while some practice magicoreligious where they light candles with pictures of saints when praying for healing and restoration of health. The Spanish believe in some diseases as caused by ‘the evil eye’ which is some form of witchcraft and treatment is through prayer and some wear bracelets or anklets to protect themselves against the evil eye. On the other hand, the Chinese practice Taoism and the mythical aspects of human nature; Buddhism and human dignity and Confucianism that looks at the social value of harmony.
The healthcare providers need to be sensitive to the cultural and social norms of the patient. When they respect the patient’s belief, they in return adhere and follow the instructions given. For instance, respect is very important to Hispanics, they expect warm and respectful physicians and other health providers. These two elements affect how their ability to follow the treatment and advice given. The process of healthcare provision is a formal and handled in a strict business-oriented format but it is also cordial involving warm touches. When addressing a patient, it is important to use the last name as it is a sign of respect and recognition.
But to the Chinese, healthcare is a serious issue and handled with clinical precision. They expect respect and referred to by their official names i.e. Mr. or Mrs. so and so; they may not openly disagree with the physician’s view, but they may hesitate to voice their opinions, as this is disrespecting authority. Culturally, Chinese are not comfortable with being touched hence caregivers need to be careful and minimize bodily contact.
Conclusion
The Chinese and Spanish population cultures hold different views on healthcare service provision from the viewpoint of family, religion, environment, diagnosis, and treatment. It is important for healthcare providers to learn about these cultural belief systems and how they affect reception of health care services. Providing healthcare services which respect, honor, and value the health practices, cultural needs, beliefs and language of patients may result in positive health outcomes.
Bias and inherent lack of perception and acknowledgment of patient’s perspectives may cause disparities in health care. While cultural stereotyping and generalization affect how information and treatment are received by patients, often leading to negative health outcomes. Health care providers should take deliberate steps to avoid stereotyping patients in the course of patient care (Chapman, Kaatz, & Carnes, 2013).
Every patient expects to be treated with compassion, empathy, respect, and honestly. Therefore, every health care provider should try to abide by these general expectations regardless of the cultural background of the patient. Purnell (2012) asserted, ‘when physicians have a better understanding of patient’s cultural beliefs and practices, it results in improved patient compliance to treatment.’ Cross-cultural knowledge allows nurses and other healthcare providers to educate their patients about different ailments and how best to handle them.

References
Chapman, E. N., Kaatz, A., & Carnes, M. (2013) Physicians and implicit bias: how doctors may unwittingly perpetuate health care disparities. Journal of general internal medicine, 28(11), 1504-1510
Hoeve, Y. T., Jansen, G., & Roodbol, P. (2014). The nursing profession: public image, self‐concept and professional identity. A discussion paper Journal of advanced nursing, 70(2), 295-309.
Jeffreys, M. R. (2015). Teaching cultural competence in nursing and health care: Inquiry, action, and innovation, Springer Publishing Company
Purnell, L. D. (2012). Transcultural health care: A culturally competent approach. FA Davis.