Multicultural medical encounters: the experience at a pediatric clinic

Research evidence suggests that minority patients experience disparities in health care management. This study examines how cultural and language expectations affect the perceived interaction between physicians and Hispanic patients. Seventeen physicians and thirteen Hispanic parents were interviewed at Arkansas Children's Hospital's General Pediatric Clinic. It was found that parents have a positive perception of physicians and reported being satisfied with the quality of the encounter. In addition, both physicians and parents reported issues that should be addressed. Both groups felt that a physician's perceptions, along with language barriers, might affect that physician's ability to fully interact with patients, but not their decision-making regarding treatment.