Cultural Competence in Refugee Health Care Lance A. Rasbridge, PhD - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Cultural Competence in Refugee Health Care Lance A. Rasbridge, PhD Coordinator, Refugee Outreach Program Parkland Hospital Lance.Rasbridge@phhs.org

Culture • Definition- “complex whole…” • Individuals are part of many different cultures • Influences an individual’s health beliefs, practices, behaviors, and even outcomes of medical treatments

Competence • Acknowledgement of the importance of culture • Knowledge is not encyclopedic • Ongoing, not static • Based on the fundamental of cultural relativism

Why is Cultural Competence in Health Care Important? • Reduce barriers to access • Improve adherence to treatment • Improve health outcomes • Eliminate health disparities • Ethics- Patient-centered care

Caveats • Diversity within all cultures, be careful of stereotyping • Culture is dynamic, especially in the process of acculturation • Be prepared to negotiate or suggest alternatives to undesirable practices

Southeast Asian Refugees • Cambodians • Laotians • Vietnamese • Hmong, Montagnards • Burmese ethnic minorities • (Bhutanese)

Southeast Asian Medical Beliefs and Practices- Etiology 1. Spiritual- Buddhist, folk 2. Natural- balance, humours, yin/yang 3. Western- biomedical

Buddhism

• Symbols

“Thanakaa”

• Betel nut

• Nutrition

Coining

Cupping

Pinching

Traditional medicines

Chinese medicine

Postpartum practices

Biomedical setting