Cultural Barriers to Healthcare


By Shruthi Reddy


The fields of medicine and healthcare have seen great advancements in the wake of new technologies, streamlined delivery of care, and significant breakthroughs in biomedical research. Despite this, many demographics and subpopulations still face many barriers in their attempts to access basic healthcare. These disparities in access to health care stem from racial, ethnic, and cultural differences that are often overlooked in regards to their role in medical care. One such occurrence is the relationship between cultural differences and access to or utilization of medical resources. These cultural boundaries can affect how we perceive medicine and illnesses. 

There are many types of cultural barriers, but language barriers most prominently affect access to health care. Language barriers threaten how physicians can communicate with their patients, and effectively give adequate medical advice. While family members can help translate some communications, interpreters that are fluent in medical terminology are needed to fully resolve this issue, and high demand overshadows current supply. The lack of an experienced and qualified translator increases the risk of patients receiving improper care or not following through on their physician’s instructions due to a lack of understanding. Apart from visible/explicit cultural barriers, there are many other cultural barriers that are difficult to see. These include family roles, body language, concept of justice, notions of modesty, core values, family values, beliefs and assumptions, rules of conduct, expectations, gestures, and childrearing practices, all of which have been shown to influence our perception and approaches to health and medicine. 

Individual cultural beliefs can also influence the quality of care and likelihood of patients seeking out and adhering to proper care. Most ethical and moral values stem from our cultural backgrounds, and influence our decisions, including in regards to medicine and health care. One such case is a recent measles outbreak in a Somali community in Minnesota. Over 79 cases were recorded, many of which were of unvaccinated children, due to a cultural skepticism in vaccinations. Such occurrences can be linked to a lack of information tailored to different cultural groups to help them understand the importance of western medical practices.

Efforts towards addressing cultural barriers to healthcare begin at the provider/physician level. There are programs in place designed to help physicians better understand different perspectives and cultural backgrounds, and their influence on a person’s perception of medicine and western healthcare practices. These trainings are known as cultural competency trainings, but are not widely available as of yet. Working towards making physicians understand the cultural history of their patients has been shown to develop more accomodating treatment plans as well as better communication practices between physicians and their patients.

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