INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION ISSUES DURING MEDICAL CONSULTATION: THE CASE OF HUICHOL PEOPLE IN MEXICO

The Mexican Ministry of Health, as a response to the State’s official acknowledgement of the cultural diversity in the country, has promoted a program that incorporates a socio-cultural dimension in medical attention. This program encourages healthcare providers to seek information about the charact...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: 44024, 44025, SANTOS GARCIA, SAUL, VERDIN AMARO, KARINA IVETT
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2011
País:México
Institución:Universidad Autónoma de Nayarit
Repositorio:Repositorio Institucional Aramara de la UAN
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:dspace.uan.mx:123456789/618
Acceso en línea:http://dspace.uan.mx:8080/jspui/handle/123456789/618
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Health provision disparities
intercultural communication
Huichol patients
medical consultation
Comunicación intercultural
Consulta médica
Huichol
Disparidades en el servicio médico
CIENCIAS SOCIALES [5]
Descripción
Sumario:The Mexican Ministry of Health, as a response to the State’s official acknowledgement of the cultural diversity in the country, has promoted a program that incorporates a socio-cultural dimension in medical attention. This program encourages healthcare providers to seek information about the characteristics of indigenous ethnic population regarding cultural aspects, including language. In this paper we show that although understanding cultural aspects of indigenous groups is crucial in the development of a culturally-sensitive view of health care service provision, it is also of paramount importance to observe aspects concerning intercultural communication issues, such as differences in expectations regarding medical consultation between an indigenous patient and a non-indigenous physician. These differences may lead to bias in health service provision which may ultimately affect patient satisfaction, adherence to treatment and subsequently, health outcomes.