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Diversity Considerations in Health Assessments ???????? The specific cultural factors to consider wo




Diversity Considerations in Health Assessments

         The specific cultural factors to consider would include financial status and ability to support and maintain health needs. The lack of monetary means will impact medical compliance and overall health. It would be prudent to assess the patient’s ability to manage chronic diseases such as adequate funds to fill prescriptions and transportation to follow up appointments. Wang and Geng (2019) published an article to highlight the association between socioeconomical status and lifestyle choices and its impact on overall physical and psychological health. According to the article lifestyle choices and behavioral risk factors such as poor dietary choices, smoking, and alcohol consumption are the actual leading causes of mortality in the United States. In addition, the article suggests these poor choices can be passed down through generations, further perpetuating some chronic disease processes. The clinician should offer the patient resources that can help ensure medical compliance as well as offer the daughter some relief and respite from some daily tasks. For an example, the clinician can offer discount cards for prescriptions to decrease financial strain and vouchers to help with transportation to and from medical appointments. The transportation vouchers can alleviate some pressure that is associated with the responsibility for daughter while offering the father some independence sense of relief. 

The medical provider should also identify high risk behaviors that may lead to further health ailments and offer educational materials to help to reduce the need for emergent and or acute medical attention. Educational resources should include dietary and physical activity plans that can facilitate overall better health. Education resources should also include outpatient and community services that can increase physical activity, accessibility to healthier food choices, and combat cultural disparities. Dong (2018) described disparities in the Asian population as being linked to under representation in medical studies, poverty, language barriers as well as habits that were established in home countries.

Lastly, the provider should build a care plan that is tailored to the patient’s specific needs, to do this, the medical provider would need to assess both the cultural and spiritual practices of the patient. Isaac et al. (2016) wrote an article that explained a patient’s spirituality and culture practices as greatly impacting their health decisions. For example, Jehovah Witnesses do not accept donor blood products even in life threatening situations, it is crucial that a provider is aware of this information, in case the patient cannot speak for themselves. By the same token, it is also essential to be able to understand the correlation between their healthcare choices and over health. The article suggests that patients prefer their medical providers to be knowledgeable or aware of their spiritual and cultural practices especially when faced with a serious or fatal event because it establishes a connection and trustworthy patient-doctor relationship. Furthermore, knowing the spiritual and cultural practices can also identify areas of disconnect that may require additional education or alternatives as well as identify those strong areas that deserve acknowledgment and praise. 

Explain the issues that you would need to be sensitive to when interacting with the patient, and why. 

The provider must assess and consider any language barriers that may exist. It is paramount that the clinician ensures the patient fully understands their disease process and how to effectively manage it. It is also equally important for the provider to understand the patient’s medical background (pre-existing health issues) and cultural practices (such as eating habits and behavioral practices) that were implemented in their home country prior to relocating if applicable. Furthermore, the provider must also consider the impact that is related to the vast change in social dynamics because of migrating. The patient’s ability to adapt to social and economic changes can directly influence medical compliance. Acknowledging and considering these factors can help close the knowledge gap between both cultures and facilitate cohesive, effective medical treatment. 

Dong (2018) article noted that the Chinese population is the largest Asian ethnic population of the world and suggests there is evidence to support different health outcomes for this population when comparing healthcare rendered in China to the healthcare provided in United States. According to the article, this phenomenon is linked to various factors such as availability of resources, adequate representation in medical studies, as well as funding to support medical studies in this population. The article suggests increasing the amount of medical health studies conducted in this group to help mitigate some of these barriers.

            Next the clinician should address the patient’s mental health status by assess for feelings of inadequacy and depression. The patient appears to feel as a burden to his daughter and these feelings should be validated. It may also be prudent to suggest a meeting that would include the patient’s daughter, it is possible the daughter does not share the same feelings as the father, and he just needs to hear that from her. Utilizing of a suicide risk assessment can help alert the medical provider of any intentions of hurting oneself and the need for immediate medical intervention. If the patient is not suicidal, starting this conversation can provide the opportunity to offer resources that may help the entire family, it is important to include caretkers when developing a plan of care for the patient.

Provide at least five targeted questions you would ask the patient to build his or her health history and to assess his or her health risks.

What concerns would you like to discuss today?

What do you mean by “being a burden” and why do you feel that way?

What is your daily routine? Run me through a typical day for you 

What side effects are you experiencing from your medications that you would like to discuss?

What is your typical diet? What kind of foods do you normally eat?

Dong, X. (2018). Achieving health equity in asian populations. Gerontology and Geriatric

Isaac, K., Hay, J., Lubetkin, E. (2016). Incorporating spirituality in primary care. Journal of 

            Religion and Health. 55(3): 1065-1077. 

Wang, J & Geng, L. (2019). Effects of socioeconomic status on physical and psychological

            health: lifestyle as a mediator. International Journal of Environmental Research and

            Public Health. 16(2): 281. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6352250/




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