Professional Communication: Cultural Sensitivity Guide

Professional Communication: Cultural Sensitivity
Author’s Name
Institution

Cultural Sensitivity
Introduction
The issue of discrimination and cultural insensitivity has always been a bone of contention in different nations and working environments in the world (Johnstone, & Kanitsaki, 2008). The roots of this issue go so deep that they blur the line between what is acceptable and what is not when interacting with others. Healthy relationships in any setting depend on the reliability and require respect between the parties involved. Virtues like trust are hard to cultivate when doubt and mistrust mark a union or interaction. Even in nations and communities where people are open-minded and free of racism, the previous actions and relationships still affect the way people relate. The comments they sometimes make may be innocent in intent but still severe relationships where the issue is still touchy.
African Americans have been victims of racism, segregation, and discrimination in many social settings. Their color has alienated them from professions and educational opportunities for a very long time. Since the slavery era, African Americans have been subjected to diverse forms of discrimination hence calling for the need of cultural sensitivity when handling them. The need to uphold professionalism and cultural sensitivity deems paramount in daily interactions when handling patients from this culture. The article analyzed herein was published in 2007 by Arnold R. Eiser, and Glenn Ellis and discusses Cultural Competence and the African American Experience with Health Care.

Summary
This paper expresses the concern that the area of cultural competence lacks in medical studies. Despite efforts to prepare physicians and other healthcare professionals to deal with patients of varied cultural backgrounds, there is still evidence of lack and incompetence in this area. Of people that seek primary care in the USA, 40% are from minority groups in the society (Eiser, & Ellis, 2007). Treating them with disdain or prejudice only emphasize their status as a minority group and exudes an aura of disrespect and discrimination. This paper also acknowledges that over the last few years, there has been an increase in the number of minority groups pursuing medical studies, as well as those from other nations. These statistics show a process of adjusting to cultural diversity and embracing fairness and unity. The need to promote cross-cultural education increases to help bridge any gaps in the care system.
The main factors to put into consideration
One of the factors that impact the treatment of African Americans is their religious affiliations. Some religious beliefs, which are slowly losing popularity, forbid certain communities to accept or seek certain procedures hence limiting the chances of getting the necessary case. Diverse individuals will have varied religious views that impact the kind of care they receive. African Americans may face discrimination when healthcare practitioners intend to use evidence-based medicine that tends to conflict their religious perspectives. For instance, some African Americans tend to link ailments to magical aspects and will therefore not rely on evidence-based medicine for treatment. Therefore, due to this aspect, African Americans might receive a treatment that is not culturally sensitive.
Another issue is the tendency to seek home remedies for most people of this cultural group. The history of using home remedies was rampant during the time of slavery because it was difficult for them to access medical care. This tradition is still used especially among elder members of this community (Eiser, & Ellis, 2007). Healthcare practitioners that do not understand the African American culture and the use of traditional medicine could discriminate against such patients.
Illiteracy pertaining health issues is another issue that makes African Americans face discrimination. The tendency to ignore symptoms and conduct self-diagnosis is more common among African Americans than it is in Caucasians. This factor influences the kind of care they receive when they seek medication. Health illiteracy makes African Americans lack optimal healthcare when it comes to chronic ailments.
Application of Communication and Cultural Sensitivity
The first approach to promoting communication is by creating trust between a patient and a healthcare practitioner. From this study, and other similar studies, one of the ways of promoting trust is through effective training of medical professionals. Through training, medical practitioners will gain an understanding regarding culture and how it functions. Through professional training, then prejudice based on culture is eliminated since the medical practitioners will have an understanding of a patient’s culture and further become culture-sensitive. Therefore, trust to foster effective communication can be attained by conducting training that makes the healthcare personnel culturally sensitive while handling patients. A health practitioner should focus on fair treatment of patients, exuding professionalism to promote trust in the healthcare system and the entire society (Tucker, Wall, Marsiske, Nghiem, & Roncoroni, 2015).
The second approach to promote communication is by avoiding generalizations by ensuring that healthcare personnel understands the culture and its beliefs. This process should focus on each patient individually. From understanding a culture, a healthcare professional will understand why their patient holds certain beliefs or acts in a certain manner. Generalization will only lead to a negative environment that will exude disrespect for the patient (Tucker, Marsiske, Rice, Nielson, & Herman, 2011). A medical practitioner should establish rapport with a patient by showing respect for their beliefs and make considerations to ensure the comfort and cooperation of the patient. At times, to avoid generalizations during communication, patients should be handled by practitioners from their culture. This can be applied when addressing the issue of home remedies. Medical practitioners should point out the remedies that can be used alongside western medicine or show the patient the effects of using home remedies.
Another way of promoting communication is by using simple language. One of the factors that cause African Americans to face discrimination is their literacy level regarding health. To address illiteracy regarding health issues, it is wise for healthcare practitioners to avoid medical jargons that may prevent this group from receiving optimal healthcare. Healthcare practitioners should be encouraged to use diagrams or use simple notes while dealing with such patients.
Conclusion
People are different and unique depending on their culture. African Americans have been subjected to discrimination for hundreds of years hence healthcare practitioners need to deal with them in a culturally sensitive manner. To ensure that a physician does not compromise his or her position and status with a patient, they must treat the patients with professionalism and respect. They should be careful not to exhibit any prejudice or insensitivity while dealing with patients, especially those from minority groups. It is not an issue that affects African Americans only. It is rather a global issue that may emphasize the differences that exist among people of different cultures and create division among them.

References
Eiser, A. R., & Ellis, G. (2007). Viewpoint: Cultural Competence and the African American Experience with Health Care: The Case for Specific Content in Cross-Cultural Education. Academic Medicine, 82(2), 176-183. Retrieved from http://www.mopaonline.org/uploads/9/4/5/9/9459095/cultural_competence_and_the_african_american_experience_with_health_care_-__the_case_for_specific_content_in_cross-cultural_education.pdf
Johnstone, M. J., & Kanitsaki, O. (2008, February 18). Cultural Racism, Language Prejudice and Discrimination in Hospital Contexts: an Australian Study. Retrieved February 20, 2018, from http://diversityhealthcare.imedpub.com/cultural-racism-language-prejudice-and-discrimination-in-hospital-contexts-an-australian-study.php?aid=2186
Tucker, C. M., Marsiske, M., Rice, K. G., Nielson, J. J., & Herman, K. (2011). Patient-centered culturally sensitive health care: Model testing and refinement. Health Psychology, 30(3), 342-350. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3092156/
Tucker, M., Wall, W., Marsiske, M., Nghiem, K., & Roncoroni, J. (2015). Validation of a Patient-Centered Culturally Sensitive Health Care Office Staff Inventory. Primary Health Care Research & Development, 16(5), 506–512. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4459912/