Introduction
PSYC FPX 4900 Assessment 3 Comprehensive Case Presentation The case study is about cultural differences faced by Elena and her granddaughter Lucia due to their different background. They not only face cultural challenges but also linguistic and healthcare problems which ultimately create stress and anxiety (Stubbe, 2020). Maintaining a positive environment in the country by considering and ensuring cultural competency will ultimately lead to the betterment of society and the world.
Case Study of Elena
Elena was Hispanic due to which she faced many difficulties in healthcare. Different cultural backgrounds and linguistic barriers create many difficulties in accessing healthcare services. They were having difficulty accessing major medical treatment and effective care due to cultural diversity. However, healthcare organizations are responsible for the lives of the people and they need to educate their staff about cultural competencies (Schenk et al., 2022). In this case study two concerns arise one is ethical and other is the cultural. Elena was becoming more forgetful and Lucia was worried about her so she booked her appointment with the doctor without letting her know which created the ethical issue of not considering the consent of Elena. It also raises cultural issues regarding family involvement in medical decisions. Moreover, Elene was able to speak little English so she couldn’t communicate enough with the doctor and Lucia did all the communication thus giving the feeling of being disregarded. The doctor misunderstood that Elena had some hearing issues as she was not speaking much because of the language barrier and her age and ethnicity the doctor raised her voice to make sure she understood.
Cultural Differences
The focus of the case study is on highlighting the cultural differences faced by the people in accessing healthcare services. The differences in languages and the inability of the staff members to communicate effectively with the patients by understanding their languages leads to harmful situations and maybe it can cause harm to the health of the patient having different cultural backgrounds (AlShamsi et al., 2020). The injustice and inequality people face while accessing basic healthcare facilities lead to dissatisfaction and anxiety among the people thus increasing the chances of harmful health events. Considering the ethical rights of the people while providing healthcare services is one of the foremost duties of healthcare professionals which need to be ensured at any cost. The cultural differences and disparities at places like healthcare clinics and hospitals may cause larger harm to the people and may negatively impact the reputation of the organization. It is the moral duty of the healthcare providers to respect the decisions of the patient and make fair policy ensuring the satisfaction of the patient. Doctors and the nursing staff who are considerate of the cultural beliefs of the patients can provide effective health and care.
The Ethics Code of Conduct
Proper guidelines and standards were given by the American Psychological Association (APA) to ensure the consideration of the ethical rights of the people without any discrimination (Young & Kenny, 2022). In the case of Elena, many incidents of breaking the principles of ethical considerations occur including booking appointments without her consent, disregarding her involvement in her case due to her inability to speak English properly, and the assumptions of the doctor based on her ethnicity and age. All these issues are responsible for breaking ethical rights of respect, cultural competency, and consent.
Cultural Issues
Cultural theories were developed to resolve issues related to the culture effectively and increase people’s satisfaction. Relational Cultural Theory and Sociocultural Theory help people understand the influence of cultural background on their experiences, healthcare interactions, and access and relationships (Aggarwal, 2024). These theories provide guidelines to healthcare professionals to ensure that they are respecting the cultural norms, values, and beliefs of the people and understand cultural competence for the provision of effective healthcare services and better treatment. Developing an understanding of cultural competence shows that healthcare professionals are well aware of cultural differences and they are competent enough to acknowledge language barriers, cultural sensitivities, and wrong beliefs and focus on the health and safety of the patient. Providing patient-centered care will help improve the health outcomes of people like Elena.
Professional Behaviors
Healthcare professionals need to adopt strategies that are effective in addressing the cultural challenges faced by people while accessing healthcare services (Brach & Fraser, 2022). A few professional behaviors are given below;
- Analyzing and understanding the problem related to cultural diversity must be the priority of any healthcare professional.
- Healthcare professionals should know about the elements of culturally competent care.
- healthcare professionals should understand their own beliefs and concerns top understand how other feel about them.
- They should educate themselves about the cultural competencies for the better provision of treatment based on cultural differences.
- They should master the skill of understanding and applying cultural knowledge efficiently for the betterment of health responses.
- They should make themselves skilled by gaining experience and working with patients having huge cultural diversity.
- They should continuously work on their knowledge and skills regarding cultural competency to keep themselves updated.
- Improving trust factor and communication with the patients will be more effective in producing efficient results.
Case Study Solutions
Prevention of ethical and cultural problems occur in the case study it is necessary to provide patient-centered care based on the following strategies;
- Properly analyzing patient information regarding language and cultural background will help the professional in providing care that is based on patient satisfaction level.
- Obtaining consent from the patient and family members is necessary to ensure that they are all on the same page. and well aware of the treatment process.
- The language of the consent forms should be fully understandable by the patient and the family members to ensure that they don’t miss any important information.
- The patient should be allowed to communicate directly with the doctor to keep the autonomy and prevent any kind of misunderstanding.
Conclusion
The case study is about Elena and her granddaughter who were Hispanic and faced problems in healthcare due to cultural differences. Elena was having the health problem of forgetting and her granddaughter Lucia booked her appointment with the doctor without obtaining her consent which breaks her autonomy and raises questions about the cultural factor of involving family members in medical decisions (Vandecasteele et al., 2024). However, by following the guidelines provided by APA these issues can be resolved effectively and improve patient responses.
References
Aggarwal, S. (2024). Impact of dimensions of organisational culture on employee satisfaction and performance level in select organisations. IIMB Management Review/IIMB Management Review, 36(3). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iimb.2024.07.001
AlShamsi, H., Almutairi, A. G., AlMashrafi, S., & Al Kalbani, T. (2020). Implications of language barriers for healthcare: A systematic review. Oman Medical Journal, 35(2), 1–7. https://doi.org/10.5001/omj.2020.40
Brach, C., & Fraser, I. (2022). Reducing disparities through culturally competent health care. Quality Management in Health Care, 10(4), 15–28. https://doi.org/10.1097/00019514-200210040-00005
Schenk, L., Sonntag, P., Beck, P., Khan, Z., Peppler, L., & Schouler M. (2022). Organisational and staff-related effects on cultural competence in the hospital setting: A cross-sectional online survey of nursing and medical staff. BMC Health Services Research, 22(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-022-07947-x
Stubbe, D. E. (2020). Practicing cultural competence and cultural humility in the care of diverse patients. Focus, 18(1), 49–51. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.focus.20190041
Vandecasteele, R., Robijn, L., Willems, S., Maesschalck, S., & Stevens, P. A. (2024). Barriers and facilitators to culturally sensitive care in general practice: A reflexive thematic analysis. BMC Primary Care, 25(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12875-024-02630-yYoung, G., & Kenny, M. C. (2022). Focusing the APA ethics code to include development: Applications to abuse. Journal of Child & Adolescent Trauma, 16(1). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40653-022-00484-z
