The art of cross-cultural care.
The art of cross-cultural care concerns learning how to transcend one's own culture in order to form a positive therapeutic alliance with patients from other cultures. Since the illness experience varies between cultures, communication difficulties are common between doctors and patients from divergent cultures. Family physicians can minimize these difficulties by sharing in the community life of patients, by listening analytically to patients' use of language and metaphor, and by using problem-solving skills to learn cultural codes. Examination of other cultures leads to increased self-awareness, which may be painful. Understanding one's own culture is a prerequisite to providing effective cross-cultural care.
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Ann Intern Med. 1978 Feb;88(2):251-8
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