Physicians and immigrant patients. Cross-cultural communication.
OBJECTIVE
To formulate recommendations for facilitating communication and helping prevent misunderstandings during cross-cultural patient-physician interactions.


METHODS
Qualitative study using content and semantic analyses of information supplied in focus groups.


METHODS
All family physician respondents were associated with departments of family medicine at two urban hospitals and had expressed interest in this study; all immigrant patients were recruited from the English-as-a-Second-Language program at a community agency.


METHODS
Thirteen immigrant patients, distributed in two groups (one of seven women and one man and one of three men and two women), and five family physicians (two women and three men).


METHODS
Responses to prepared questions asked in focus groups.


RESULTS
Family physicians thought that understanding patients' cultures better would improve quality of care. Patients did not always understand why their physicians asked questions about their culture, sometimes finding these questions irrelevant or intrusive. Comments were used to formulate recommendations for patient-physician interactions.


CONCLUSIONS
Physicians and patients are aware of culture as a factor in their relationships but differ on its importance to quality of care.
Cave
A
A
Department of Family Medicine, University of Alberta.
Maharaj
U
U
Gibson
N
N
Jackson
E
E
D000328:Adult; D000416:Alberta; D003144:Communication Barriers; D003469:Culture; D004641:Emigration and Immigration; D005194:Family Practice; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D011787:Quality of Health Care