Cultural Barriers in Healthcare
In our world, and specifically in our country, all professionals must understand other cultures to some extent. Regardless, healthcare providers face many challenges in delivering care to patients from different backgrounds. Cultural barriers in healthcare refer to the obstacles due to differences in language, beliefs, values, customs, and communication styles between healthcare providers and patients. These barriers can significantly impact the quality and effectiveness of healthcare, leading to disparities in access, treatment outcomes, and patient satisfaction.
Language barriers present a significant challenge in healthcare settings. When patients and healthcare providers do not share a common language, it hampers effective communication, leading to misunderstandings, errors in diagnosis, and compromised patient safety. A study by Shamsi et al. shows that “language barriers in healthcare lead to miscommunication between the medical professional and patient, reducing both parties’ satisfaction and decreasing the quality of healthcare delivery and patient safety.” Limited proficiency in the dominant language, often English, can impede patients' ability to express their symptoms, concerns, or understand medical instructions. One key way that healthcare providers are aiming to address this issue is by employing professional interpreters or translation services to bridge this gap and ensure accurate information exchange.
Cultural barriers can also be found in the large diversity of patients a hospital treats. Differences caused by different backgrounds can influence patients' perceptions of illness, treatment preferences, and adherence to medical advice. For instance, certain cultural groups may prioritize traditional healing methods, spiritual practices, or alternative therapies alongside conventional medicine. Taking the examples of Chinese culture, the NIH writes that “traditional Chinese medicine incorporates acupuncture, herbal medicines, special diets, and meditative exercises such as tai chi.” Understanding that such patients are more receptive to these types of treatment helps the healing process go smoother. Healthcare providers must also exhibit cultural sensitivity and respect patients' beliefs while offering evidence-based care. Building trust and open dialogue can help align patients' cultural values with the best possible healthcare outcomes. Cultural diversity is also important among employees. The University of St. Augustine for Health and Sciences writes that cultural diversity in the workforce “has a positive impact not only on the organization itself but also on the individual patients and wider communities.” This is imperative, as in medicine, “for every 100 men who are promoted to managerial positions, only 85 women are promoted. This gap is even larger for Black women and Latinas, of which only 58 and 71, respectively, are promoted for every 100 men.”
Lastly, cultural barriers to healthcare are often intertwined with socioeconomic factors. Marginalized communities may face disparities in access to healthcare resources, insurance coverage, transportation, and financial constraints. A study by Braveman et al. furthers this, explaining that “those with the lowest income and who were least educated were consistently least healthy, but for most indicators, even groups with intermediate income and education levels were less healthy than the wealthiest and most educated.” Healthcare systems should strive to address these social determinants of health by providing culturally competent care that is accessible, affordable, and geographically available. Overall, collaboration with community organizations, cultural competency training for healthcare providers, and policy changes can contribute to reducing healthcare disparities.
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Mozafaripour, Sara. “Cultural Diversity in Healthcare | USAHS.” University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences, Mar. 2021, www.usa.edu/blog/diversity-in-healthcare/. Accessed 16 June 2023.
Braveman, Paula, et al. Socioeconomic Disparities in Health in the United States: What the Patterns Tell Us. Vol. 100, no. S1, 1 Apr. 2010, pp. S186–S196, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2837459/, https://doi.org/10.2105/ajph.2009.166082. Accessed 16 June 2023.
Hilal Al Shamsi, et al. Implications of Language Barriers for Healthcare: A Systematic Review. Vol. 35, no. 2, 15 Mar. 2020, pp. e122–e122, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7201401/, https://doi.org/10.5001/omj.2020.40. Accessed 16 June 2023.
Swihart, Diana L, et al. “Cultural Religious Competence in Clinical Practice.” Nih.gov, StatPearls Publishing, 14 Nov. 2022, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK493216/. Accessed 16 June 2023.
Putsch, Robert W, and Marlie Joyce. “Dealing with Patients from Other Cultures.” Nih.gov, Butterworths, 2013, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK340/. Accessed 16 June 2023.
Debas, Haile T, et al. “Complementary and Alternative Medicine.” Nih.gov, The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development / The World Bank, 2019, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK11796/#:~:text=Alternative%20systems%20of%20medicine%20use,such%20as%20mercury%20and%20arsenicals. Accessed 4 Sept. 2024.
