title: Culture, language, and health literacy: communicating about health with Asians and Pacific Islanders.
abstract: The Asian and Pacific Islander (API) population in the United States is ethnically and linguistically diverse. American API patients in the most disadvantaged subgroups (limited English proficient, low income, low literate, etc) are at risk for having unmet communication needs. Medical education programs and primary care physicians need to address issues of culture, language, and health literacy when they communicate with these patients so that appropriate questions are asked, and accurate information is exchanged between patients and their providers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. nguyeng@uphs.upenn.edu
authors.forename: Giang T
authors.initials: GT
authors.lastname: Nguyen
authors.forename: Marjorie A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Bowman
mesh_terms: D001213:Asian; D003144:Communication Barriers; D003466:Cultural Characteristics; D004503:Education, Medical, Graduate / Q000379:methods; D004522:Educational Status; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008516:Medicine, Chinese Traditional; D010139:Pacific Islands / Q000208:ethnology; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D011320:Primary Health Care; D014481:United States