DELIVERY OF CULTURALLY RELEVANT HEALTH CARE AND CULTURE SENSITIVITY

Learning Objectives

Evaluate the influence of Socio-

cultural Factors on Therapeutics
Describe the process of Cultural
Assessment
Evaluate the role of holistic doctor
 CULTURE
cultureis defined as
The outcome of the man
made part of
environment. It is
always dynamic and
continue to evolve but
not at the same pace as
other scientific
 Holistic Health.
To understand it one need to have the
knowledge of sociology and
anthtropology
These include, culture, beliefs, norms,
health, belief models, family, child
rearing practices , social barriers to
health care, social classes, gender roles,
ethnicity that influence health.
 The body, mind and spirit are not
independent of one another.

They are intertwined

What affects one affects the others

A philosophy that focuses on only one

aspect is an incomplete approach.

A treatment approach can be

complimentary, alternative or natural
without necessarily being holistic.
 Holistic Approach By
Doctors

Treatment approaches are highly

individualized for the unique needs of
each individual and the patient and their
practitioner make decisions together as
partners to develop the health care plan
 Why to know about
these factors?
They influence rates of diseases, preventive
strategies, pathways taken to health care facilities,
choices and options of treatments, compliance or
treatment adherence, understanding of the
disease phenomena, the efficacy of treatment,
illness behavior, utilization of health services and
conducting psycho social assessment.

The study of all of the above factors by a doctor

has to eventually translate into practice of holistic
medicine
 How this knowledge helps
a Holistic doctor?
These factors also help to be considered
while developing a BPS care plan.
Such a doctor will be able to deliver a
culturally relevant and a culture specific
care to his patient.
A holistic doctor who practices BPS
model is aware and accepts cultural
differences, collects data about his
patients culture and adapts his care
plan accordingly without compromising
its scientific basis.
He also remains aware and understands
his own biases and attitudes.
 Qualities Of A Holistic
Doctor
A culturally sensitive doctor feels interested in
learning all the cultural variations amongst his
patients and then tries to merge his professional
knowledge with each patients health beliefs.

He also needs to take out time to interact as

directly as possible with individuals from diverse
cultural background and collect valuable data
about their norms, values and beliefs particularly
regarding their health and disease.
 What Is The Definition Of
Holistic Health?
It's
a wellness approach that
addresses the body, mind and
spirit or the physical,
emotional/mental and spiritual
aspects of an individual.
By spirit or spiritual, It is not
making a reference to anything
religious. It is about the essence
of who you are -- the core self.
 How to make a cultural
assessment?

It is required when a patient is

from a different culture for
example from northern areas
being nursed or being taken care
in Karachi. It is also important to
consider the concept of heritage
consistency.
 Cont.
This is referred to how closely an
individual is influenced by his
particular ethnic background. His
lifestyle, health belief model or
practices may not always be the
same as his cultural heritage.
It is then important to iron out
differences between the patient
and the doctor that might have
risen due to problems with the
language or culture.
 Influence Of Socio-cultural
Factors On Treatments.
The patient with different socio-cultural
background takes medicines in a
different perspective.
The traditional concept of taseer of
medicine whether it is hot or cold has to
be respected by the doctor and adapt
his scientific knowledge to the patient in
his language.
Many patients hold very strong views
about injections and consider it to have
dramatic results. In other cultures, they
are viewed as the last stage of
treatment.
 The stigma attached to many methods
of treatment need to be addressed by
the doctor.
The doctor must understand the strong
influence these socio cultural factors
play in the treatment of disorder.
He needs to learn to convert these
factors to the benefit of the patient.
 Psychosocial
Pharmacology
Little attention has been paid to two
psychosocial dimensions of
pharmacology.
Types of personality
Suggestible When people around him yawn,
he yawns
Non suggestible
Many psychological, social and
behavioural factors tend to influence the
efficacy of medication and the overall
therapeutic outcome for these individuals
compared with those who are less
suggestible
 Psychosocial
Pharmacology
Psycho social pharmacology studies the
drug-induced changes in mood,
sensation, thinking and behavior
It is a new interdisciplinary approach
that includes psychology, sociology and
clinical pharmacology.
It explores the puzzling efficacy
differences associated with non
pharmacological factors among
patients.
 Cont.
Itadvocates considering the
patient's psychological, social and
behavioural components that
influence drug efficacy in a similar
manner as does the patient's
genetics and physiology, and the
disease itself
the effect of the medical
professional's manner and speech
on medication efficacy
 Cont.
The generalized comfort and
emotional support mechanisms
are beneficial to patients
higher expectations of imported
medicine and, whenever possible,
they prefer it to homemade
remedies
providing patients with
information that is clinically
helpful or harmful
THANK YOU