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Related Experiment Videos

Listening to native patients. Changes in physicians' understanding and behaviour.

Len Kelly1, Judith Belle Brown

  • 1McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont. pogmor@voyageur.ca

Canadian Family Physician Medecin De Famille Canadien
|November 27, 2002
PubMed
Summary

Developing effective cross-cultural communication with Native patients requires physicians to dedicate significant time, listen actively, and engage with community contexts. This understanding evolves over years of practice and personal reflection.

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Area of Science:

  • Medical Anthropology
  • Cross-Cultural Communication
  • Primary Care Physician Training

Background:

  • Effective communication is crucial for quality healthcare.
  • Understanding diverse patient populations, including Native communities, presents unique challenges for non-Native physicians.
  • Existing literature often lacks depth on the physician's developmental process in cross-cultural communication.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore how non-Native physicians develop understanding of Native patients and communities.
  • To identify strategies that enhance physician-patient communication in this context.
  • To understand the physician's personal and professional evolution in cross-cultural care.

Main Methods:

  • Qualitative study utilizing in-depth, semistructured interviews.

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  • Phenomenological approach (immersion and crystallization) for data analysis.
  • Ten non-Native primary care physicians serving Native communities in Canada were interviewed.

    • Main Results:

    • Physicians adopted communication strategies such as speaking less, taking more time, and embracing silence.
    • Recognized the inseparability of patient health from community context, culture, and values.
    • Physicians' understanding of Native culture and communication evolved over time through prolonged service, attentive listening, and community engagement.

    Conclusions:

    • Developing cross-cultural communication skills with Native patients is a lengthy, often lifelong, process.
    • Physicians undergo significant personal and professional change, marked by self-examination and relationship building.
    • The journey involves both rewards and frustrations, highlighting the complexity of culturally competent care.