Culture in Clinical Care

Do the concepts "culture," "cultural diversity," or "teaching culture" -- so common in health care training and practice settings today -- seem vague or abstract to you? Are you having trouble conceptualizing a practical way to gain or teach the skills necessary for culturally sensitive practice or finding resource materials that can help you do it well? If so, then Culture in Clinical Care is just what you need Culture in Clinical Care defines and describes culture and its interaction with individual experience and personality in the development of beliefs, values, and actions. Information about cultural beliefs related to health and wellness are explored as they affect intervention strategies. Based on ethnographic methods, mechanisms for culturally sensitive assessment and intervention are considered. The text goes beyond traditional fact-centered approaches, taking the perspective that culture is emergent in individuals as they interact with the physical and social environment. This one-of-a-kind book provides students, as well as healthcare practitioners, chapter objectives, chapter outlines, critical thinking questions, case descriptions for discussion, self-tests and exercises, glossary, comprehensive references, line drawing, and black and white photographs. The organization of the book benefits readers because theory, examples, and practice are interwoven. Students have opportunities to practice what they are learning, and to evaluate their own effectiveness. Culture in Clinical Care fills a niche in the health professions programs because of its theoretical approach, its emphasis on strategies and methods for clinical interventions, and its importance of strategies for practice and self-assessment. For more information about the role of culture in health and health care, visit Health and Culture, a resource for students, educators, and health professionals, online at http: //health.csuohio.edu/healthculture/index.htm. Features Case study boxes to present illustrative materials to clarify theory. Self-assessment activities that facilitate personal exploration of cultural values and beliefs relative to culture and health. Assessment and intervention strategies as a quick reference list that can be used in any setting. Comprehensive bibliography of books, instructional materials and websites related to culture and health. Discussion that provides a theoretical framework for understanding individuals from disparate cultures. A wide array of examples from many cultures and clinical settings. Exercises that provide practice, as well as suggestions for evaluating effectiveness.