Quality Cultural Health Care

Culture has been defined as shared beliefs and behaviors that are shared among a certain group. It includes practices, methods of communication, values beliefs, ethnicity, gender, and views on roles and relationships. These factors are collectively called socio-cultural factors which shape peoples values, belief systems and motivate behavior (Donini-Lenhoff, 2004)
The United States has made tremendous improvements in overall health and life expectancy. This is basically because of initiatives formulated in public health, health promotion and disease prevention. However, there has been a controversial debate regarding the provision of quality cultural health care. There are those who argue that there is no discrimination based on ones cultural background in the provision of health care services. But these arguments are disputed by others who argue that discrimination is prevalent in the health care sector based on ones cultural background.
There are disparities in the provision of health care among racial and ethnic groups in the U.S. which are caused by several factors such as poverty and lack of health care insurance. Social-cultural differences among health care professionals have been seen as the main causes of for disparities in the provision of quality cultural care. Racial discrimination has been practiced in several hospitals where minority groups are denied access or are not given the necessary treatment (Robins et al., 2009).
These challenges are attributed to racial and ethnic disparities in health since minorities are subjected to adverse social determinants. This has been attributed to under representation of minority groups in the health care work force. Several studies show a relationship between racial and ethnic diversity of health care work force and quality cultural health care. For instance, studies found that when there is doctor and patient share the same ethnic background, patient satisfaction and self rated quality care of care are higher.
According to George D., (2007) clinicians use misleading terminologies such as Borderline Personality Disorder to label patients they do not like, particularly, patients of color. For instant, this terminology means that the patient was angry and manipulative and therefore could interfere with the clinician’s availability to provide quality health. This is one example of how clinicians use tricks to avoid providing care to people of a different cultural background
Language barriers can have deadly effects. Although this is disputed, there have been numerous complaints. Many patients who have been subjected to such prejudice barriers are less likely than others to have a usual source of medical care. Most legible patients who require interpreters in order for them to get access to medical end up without getting medical services.
On the other hand, some experts argue that is no much discrimination in provision of quality cultural health care. They, in addition, draw clear links among cultural competence, quality improvements, and the elimination of racial or cultural disparities in health care. This group argues that any differences in the provision of health care are imaginary and that every body has a right under law to report cases of discrimination (Robins et al., 2009). My position is that there is widespread discrimination in the provision of health care based on cultural...