Optometrists' perspectives on cross-cultural encounters in clinical practice: a pilot study.
BACKGROUND
There is growing awareness that cultural background influences health beliefs and practices and can impact on the patient-practitioner encounter. However, in relation to optometry there is little known about the implications of cultural diversity for clinical decision-making and how optometrists address culturally based understandings of health. This pilot study examines how culturally based differences in health practices and beliefs impact on patient-optometrist interactions and how optometrists negotiate and manage these differences.


METHODS
Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 optometrists. A qualitative analysis was undertaken regarding the optometrists' experiences of cultural diversity and how these impact their decision-making and clinical interactions.


RESULTS
Emergent themes were: 1 Culture can influence and impact on patient-optometrist clinical encounters. 2 Culturally based differences in health practices and beliefs can have a negative impact on clinical encounters. 3 Culturally based differences, beliefs and values (related to eye health) can be difficult to negotiate. 4 Optometrists might benefit from additional training and strategies to deal with culturally based differences in health beliefs and practices.


CONCLUSIONS
This pilot study provides data about some of the issues that arise as a result of cultural differences between patients and health care practitioners. The findings from this study contribute to an understanding of the impact of cultural diversity and might assist the development of training and further research in the area.
The McCaughey Centre, School of Population Health and the Centre for Health and Society, School of Population Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. mtruong@student.unimelb.edu.au
Mandy
M
Truong
Giuliana
G
Fuscaldo
D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D018864:Cultural Diversity; D003657:Decision Making / Q000941:ethics*; D005260:Female; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000941:ethics*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009907:Optometry / Q000941:ethics*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations / Q000941:ethics*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult