Similarly, preventive health care has little meaning in this philosophy. Accordingly, health care decision-making is frequently a family matter. Concordantly, the family would typically be involved in treatment. Respect for and veneration of ancestors is associated with Buddhism and Confucianism. The prospect of burial away from ancestral burial sites is a source of significant distress to older Vietnamese.
Difficulty visiting burial sites in Vietnam is also distressful.
The diagnosis of illness is frequently understood in three different, although overlapping, models. The first, the least common, is what could be considered supernatural or spiritual, where illness can be brought on by a curse or sorcery, or nonobservance of a religious ethic. This specialist may be called upon to exorcise a bad spirit, for example, via chanting, a magical potion, or consultation from and recitation of ancient Chinese texts. The use of amulets and other forms of spiritual protection are also commonly employed by Vietnamese. For example, babies and children commonly wear bua , an amulet of cloth containing a Buddhist verse or is blessed by a monk, worn on a string around the wrist or neck.