Agenda dissonance: immigrant Hispanic women's and providers' assumptions and expectations for menopause healthcare.
This focus group study examined immigrant Hispanic women's and providers' assumptions about and expectations of healthcare encounters in the context of menopause. Four groups of immigrant women from Central America and one group of healthcare providers were interviewed in Spanish and English, respectively. The women wanted provider-initiated, individualized anticipatory guidance about menopause, acknowledgement of their symptoms, and mainstream medical treatment for disruptive symptoms. Providers believed that menopause was an unimportant health issue for immigrant women and was overshadowed by concerns about high-risk medical problems, such as diabetes, heart disease and HIV prevention. The women expected a healthcare encounter to be patient centered, social, and complete in itself. Providers expected an encounter to be businesslike and one part of multiple visit care. Language and lack of time were barriers cited by all. Dissonance between patient-provider assumptions and expectations around issues of healthcare leads to missed opportunities for care.
Esposito
Noreen
N
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA.
D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel / Q000208:ethnology*; D001294:Attitude to Health / Q000208:ethnology*; D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000592:standards; D003144:Communication Barriers; D003466:Cultural Characteristics; D004641:Emigration and Immigration; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000193:education / Q000208:ethnology*; D006801:Humans; D008593:Menopause / Q000208:ethnology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D033262:Narration; D009519:New York City; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D009740:Nursing Staff / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology*; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000592:standards; D018802:Patient-Centered Care / Q000592:standards; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017748:Time Management