Abstract. In communication and ethical discernment about religion and culture, doctors should seek to understand patients' and colleagues' beliefs, be sensitive to them in practice and comply with the law. Copyright 2021 American Medical Association. What's wrong with ‘compassion’? © 2016 The Author. Why religion deserves a place in secular medicine. UK equality legislation provides that services should be provided without discrimination based on protected characteristics (The UK Equality Act 2010 lists the following protected characteristics: age, disability, gender reassignment, race, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation). Towards a political, philosophical and theological context. Provide a summary of the article along with a link to the article. Successful implementation of initiatives to improve screening and access to health-promotion activities at minority-serving religious institutions requires partnering with faith-based organizations, adapting interventions, and leveraging organizational infrastructure and social networks. Due to perceived restrictions in medical care, the Muslim population may be at an increased risk for several diseases. Communication with Spiritual Leaders: The need for adequate language interpreters in health care settings is uniformly addressed, but it is also imperative for people to be able to communicate with leaders of their faith community. Conflict may arise when the cultural … More than 100 C-suite and director-level executives voted on and then ranked the top 10 critical challenges, issues, and opportunities they expect to face in the coming year, during the 2019 HCEG Annual Forum. Religion or belief: a practical guide for the NHS. For most ethnic minority groups, discussion of cultural dynamics in health care cannot take place without consideration of the ways in which culture intersects with issues of poverty and equity, including access to and utilization of health care, individual and institutional racism, and a lack of cultural competence on the part of health providers and programs. So people of following religion and culture will adopt it in their social life which minimizes the chances of violence. When you focus on your people first, the benefits are evident. The culture within an organization is created by the attitudes, beliefs and behaviors of the people who work within it. Religious traditions tend to be as complex as they are long, and it is impossible to predict how any one patient or family member may understand or apply them in the context of health care. Cultural competence in various settings Healthcare system. Globally, Muslims represent substantial portio … Both physicians and chaplains, who promote patients’ spiritual well-being, should respectfully challenge patients when necessary. Physicians should accommodate patients’ religious or spiritual understanding of suffering, even when they disagree, as long as they uphold their commitment to health. Cultural Competence in Health Care and Nursing: An Australian Study, ... in the health care setting. Doctors who have a conscientious objections ‘must tell [patients] about their right to see another doctor and make sure they have enough information to exercise that right … If it is not practical for a patient to arrange to see another doctor, [they] must make sure that arrangements are made for another suitably qualified colleague to take over [their] role’. Six Key Areas Where Health Care and Cultural-Religious Beliefs Intersect. Practices that might be considered unethical to an autonomous American (e.g. Culture, Belief and Health. Volume 20, Learning to nurture cultural respect and inclusion is vital to reducing health disparities and to facilitate and improve access to high-quality healthcare that is directly responsive to a patient’s needs. Equally, the GMC recognizes ‘that personal beliefs and cultural practices are central to the lives of doctors [and] that all doctors have personal values that affect their day-to-day practice’ and does not ‘wish to prevent doctors from practising in line with their beliefs and values’ where they are consistent with overall GMC guidance. They should not be viewed solely or primarily as sources of problems in the delivery and reception of care. But how can your culture shift gears to put more emphasis on the wellbeing of your team? This perspective allows care providers to ask about various beliefs or sources of care specifically, and to incorporate new awareness into diagnosis and treatment planning. Doctors who use their knowledge and skills to provide effective healthcare for patients of diverse cultural backgrounds are said to be culturally competent. Similarly, a doctor may have a philosophical belief, again in line with UK law, that a pre-sentient fetus, especially one severely disabled and not compatible with life outside the womb, is not a child. Prompt #2: Locate an article that explores issues related to culture and religion in healthcare settings. Desired Degree. Doctors are therefore permitted to explain the reason for not carrying out a procedure but should do so bearing in mind the concerns about sensitivity discussed above. Certain cultures value modesty, and females are only allowed to talk to and be cared for by female healthcare providers. Cultural and religious background influence an individual's attitudes, behaviors, and beliefs toward health, illness, and the provision of healthcare may present obstacles to the healthcare this population receives. Yet because of the complexity of healthcare cultures and the ambiguity around health service “success,” establishing such links through research is not easy.13 Nonetheless, the most recent systematic review of work in this area found a “consistently positive association . And the development of culturally sensitive programs can help bridge differences, positively impact care, and lead to increased satisfaction. Especially when it comes to physicians. How are conflicts resolved or not resolved? Tools for Cross-Cultural Communication and Language Access Can Help Organizations Address Health Literacy and Improve Communication Effectiveness. Incorporating religious approaches into mental health care settings may go some way to reduce low rates of service-utilization, engagement, and adherence in this demographic. Communication between doctors and patients and between healthcare staff should attend sensitively to the welfare benefits of religion, belief and culture. Religion. This month on Ethics Talk, we explore how chaplains help patients and families articulate their goals and navigate logistical and emotional challenges that arise in the hospital. Against this background we consider the role played by culture and belief and how they can impact on patient outcomes. Chaplains can mediate between physicians and families by clarifying religious issues for physicians, who can then present treatment options informed by a patient’s priorities. In this way, doctors have a civic obligation to enhance a society's overall quality of understanding and sensitivity to the plural religious and cultural views that characterize its life. Clinical cultural competence includes being aware of a patient's and one's own socio-cultural background and using skills and strategies that focus on culturally appropriate healthcare interventions. We use cookies to help provide and enhance our service and tailor content and ads. Physicians who are uncomfortable with patients’ requests to participate in prayer should pause, listen respectfully, and reflect back their understanding of the request, regardless of whether they pray. . Locate an article that explores issues related to culture and religion in healthcare settings. Apparent conflict between clinical judgement and culture, religion and belief should be approached sensitively and without assumptions about the significance of the belief to the patient's attitudes and preferences. Loss of faith in brain death: Catholic controversy over the determination of death by neurological criteria. What concerns are raised? Cultural bias may result in very different health-related preferences and perceptions. Provide a summary of the article along with a link to the article. (1) A culturally competent health care system can help improve health outcomes and quality of care, and can contribute to the elimination of racial and ethnic health disparities. avoiding direct eye contact), or curious to a nutritionist (e.g. In such cases and depending on the circumstances, there are mandatory reporting and safeguarding procedures that doctors must carry out, as specified, in England, by the Department of Health. Whether and how religion and spirituality training are critical components of students’ and clinicians’ development of cultural humility is one important set of … But in a healthcare setting the potential for the miscommunication to negatively affect someone’s health is all too real. Culture influences health and the management of illness, and issues related to culture can sometimes heighten risk or impact care. Therefore doctors should be sensitive not only to the strength of a patient's belief, but also to the particular interpretation of religion or culture the individual holds. If physician-assisted suicide or euthanasia ever became legal in any part of the UK, the same provision for conscientious objection would seem appropriate. April R. Christensen, MD, Tara E. Cook, MD, and Robert M. Arnold, MD. A major healthcare episode can be a challenging and stressful time in a person’s life. What concerns are raised? ? Religious observance Islam places the responsibility of practising religion on the individual and, as a result, it is important that health care providers discuss religious observance needs with each patient. Provide a summary of the article along with a link to the article. Duquesne University's Khlood Salman to travel to Saudi Arabia to study the impact of culture and religion on breast cancer prevention. Four most prominent such pathways have been proposed: health behaviors (through prescribing a certain diet and/or discouraging the abuse of alcoholic beverages, smoking, etc., religion can protect and promote a healthy lifestyle), social support (people can experience social contact with co-religionists and have a web of social relations that can help and protect whenever the case), psychological states (religious … This drawing of two hands—one holding pills and another, a rosary—illustrates how clinicians seeking to provide compassionate care must balance maintaining their professional boundaries with understanding of patients’ spirituality. Delivering high-quality care to Muslim patients involves having an awareness of the ramifications of the Islamic faith and Islamic beliefs. The five components are cultural awareness, cultural knowledge, cultural skill, cultural encounter, and cultural desire. This is a stark difference from historical times when the religious leader and/or priest and the physician healer were one and the same. Key Lessons. Should Clinicians Challenge Faith-Based Institutional Values Conflicting with Their Own? A male health care provider would take this into consideration when treating a female Islamic patient. Provide a summary of the article along with a link to the article. Benjamin W. Frush, MD, MA, John Brewer Eberly Jr, MD, MA, and Farr A. Curlin, MD. This view allows that suffering can be a time of learning and disclosure, even redemption and reconciliation. MHE Staff. In multicultural and minority populations, the issue of communication may play an even larger role because of behavioral, cognitive, linguistic, contextual, and … For the truly zealous, religion is not just a hobby. How are conflicts resolved or not resolved? Locate an article that explores issues related to culture/religion and diet in healthcare settings July 2, 2018 student approvedscholars Summarize the article and explain conflicts between a specific culture/religion and their diet in terms of health care. Effective provider-patient communication leads to an increase in patient satisfaction, better compliance, and improved outcomes. Cultural beliefs can affect how a patient will seek care and from whom, how he or she will manage self-care, how he will make health choices, and how she might respond to a specific therapy. Please enter a term before submitting your search. Poll results reflect the opinions of visitors to the site who voluntarily answer the poll questions. The 3 drawings in this series illustrate how patients’ fears and suffering—generated by dental pain, chemotherapy, or lack of health insurance—can be counterbalanced by the foundational ethical principles of beneficence, nonmaleficence, respect for autonomy, and justice. Folk illnesses are health problems associated with members of a particular group and for which the culture provides etiology, diagnosis, prevention, and regimen of healing; and which also have psychological and/or religious overtones DELTA REGION AIDS EDUCATION AND TRAINING CENTER • deltaaetc.org Folk illnesses in Hispanics How does the information you learned in the article shape your views on culture and religion in health care? Summarize the article and explain conflicts between a specific culture/religion and their diet in terms of health care. Prompt #2: Locate an article that explores issues related to culture and religion in healthcare settings. Some topics that health care providers may wish to discuss with their patients include ablution and bathing, Effective communication recognizes and bridges cultural differences. Religious … Culture plays a huge role in medical interactions. Related: 7 Important Elements Of An Inspiring Nursing Career But this belief should not adversely affect and cause distress to patients who may either be uncertain about or profoundly disagree with such a philosophical belief. Published by Elsevier Ltd. Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Reproductive Medicine, Recognizing the place of religion and culture in healthcare, Democratic recognition as civic obligation, We use cookies to help provide and enhance our service and tailor content and ads. Clinicians in Catholic health care institutions cannot prescribe contraceptives for pregnancy prevention under a false diagnosis without committing fraud and contravening doctrine. How does the information you learned in the article shape your views on culture and religion in health care? Educators discussing ethically challenging topics with students should try to cultivate open mindedness while illuminating potential negative consequences that their health practice beliefs—such as refusing to provide abortion care—can have for patients, particularly those with limited options. This work was undertaken by Joshua Hordern and was funded by the Sir Halley Stewart Trust. With the number of minority citizens on the rise, future healthcare professionals will be tasked with caring for many patients whose backgrounds differ from their own. Doctors' own religion or culture may play an important role in promoting adherence to this good practice. For example, a religious belief that a particular sexual lifestyle or the use of alcohol is wrong should not adversely affect patients' care. How are conflicts resolved or not resolved? How does the information you learned in the article shape your views on culture and religion in health care? How does the information you learned in the article shape your views on culture and religion in health care? "Are there any religious or cultural practices that affect the way you wish to be cared for?" The advent of science in our society pushed a separation of faith and science. Organizational culture varies between different healthcare organizations and practices. The author gratefully acknowledges this funding and that of the University of Oxford Wellcome Trust Institutional Strategic Support Fund (grant reference number 105605/Z/14/Z ). Delivering quality primary care to large populations is always challenging, and that is certainly the case in India. Abstract. Religion, belief and culture should be recognized as potential sources of moral purpose and personal strength in healthcare, enhancing the welfare of both clinicians and patients amidst the experience of ill-health, healing, suffering and dying. From the first moment they’re in medical school, physicians are dealing with a daunting culture, where they’re expected to make countless consequential decisions throughout the day and deal with stacks of clerical rigmarole. Culture can be defined by group membership, such as racial, ethnic, linguistic or geographical groups, or as a collection of beliefs, values, customs, ways of thinking, communicating, and behaving specific to a group.As part of a cultural group, people learn communication rules, such as who communicates with whom, when and where something may be communicated, and what to communicate about. The sensitive navigation of differences between people's religions, beliefs and cultures is part of doctors' civic obligations and in the UK should follow the guidance of the General Medical Council and Department of Health. Organizational culture in healthcare cannot be seen or measured but can be experienced by watching and listening to the individuals at work. The Biggest Issues Facing Healthcare Today. Culture may influence, for example, beliefs about what causes disease, whether to engage in certain health promotion activities or seek advice regarding health concerns, as well as whether treatment options are followed. For the healthcare industry, it’s about building a culture of appreciation, support and community. How are conflicts resolved or not resolved? Religious observance Islam places the responsibility of practising religion on the individual and, as a result, it is important that health care providers discuss religious observance needs with each patient. Healthcare executives rank the top 10 transformational themes for 2020. Locate an article that explores issues related to culture and religion in healthcare settings. And because so many people turn to religion or spirituality for comfort and healing during these times, it makes sense that those parts of a person’s life should be incorporated in their care. While the sheer magnitude of patients can create difficulties, not all challenges are about logistics. The General Medical Council (GMC) specifically recognizes the importance of understanding spiritual, social and cultural factors when taking a history and of sharing relevant factors with colleagues when handing over (Good Medical Practice). A patient tells his physician that he doesn’t want pain medication after a cholecystectomy because “God wants [him] to be in pain.” Should the clinical team comply? Navigating the unique cultural and religious needs of your patients can be unnerving. MHE Staff. Communication between doctors and patients and between healthcare staff should attend sensitively to the welfare benefits of religion, belief and culture. In clinical settings, chaplains are key communicators who help mediate between patients, families, and the medical team. Get monthly alerts when a new issue is published. The challenge to health care provider is to be culturally adaptable, to display cross-cultural communication skills, to remain aware of nonverbal cues that are culturally motives, and to move toward a trusting interpersonal relationship as quickly as possible. Leininger (2002) defines culture as a set of values, beliefs and traditions that are led by a specific group of people and handed down from generation to generation. Such beliefs are themselves worthy of respect and protection in a plural, democratic society, are not unlawful and may be fully compatible with an affirmation of human dignity. . Number 7: need for adequate language interpreters in health care settings is uniformly addressed, but it is also imperative for people to be able to communicate with leaders of their faith community. It may be one of the finer points of being a nurse, but ultimately it is no less important than doing rounds or assisting in surgery. The GMC emphasizes the obligation on doctors to ‘treat patients fairly and with respect whatever their life choices and beliefs’. All Rights Reserved. Religion and spirituality in medicine can help clinicians empathize with their patients, collaborate with hospital chaplains, and advance faith-based initiatives, hospital policy, and legislation. ), or curious to a nutritionist ( e.g put more emphasis on the manner which! As ‘ cultural competence is foundational to being an effective and successful.. Patient Believes God Wants Him to Suffer cultural encounter, and Farr A. Curlin, MD, and M.! 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Cook, MD ’ spiritual well-being, should respectfully challenge patients when necessary healthcare episode can be a challenging stressful. Doctors to ‘ treat patients fairly and with respect whatever their life and. Leads to an autonomous American ( e.g s health care beliefs and of! In brain death: Catholic controversy over the determination of death by neurological criteria can impact interactions! And improved outcomes development of culturally sensitive programs can help organizations Address health Literacy and Improve Effectiveness. Focus on religion or belief: a practical guide for the truly zealous, and. Times when the cultural … article: culture, religion is not just a.. And negotiating such differences are skills known as ‘ cultural competence in health care institutions can be! Is not just a hobby how should Clinicians Respond to requests from patients to Participate in Prayer organizations... 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