In addition to the client's cultural values, beliefs and healthcare practices affecting the healthcare provided and received, the healthcare provider's cultural values, beliefs and healthcare practices also impact the outcome of each care situation. Working together to provide the most appropriate care is difficult when cultural values are shared, it becomes much more difficult when cultural values differ or even clash. Within a healthcare team, there might be multiple cultural backgrounds. In 1976, I shared a home with Vietnamese refugees. One cultural value that may differ is the value of time.
Healthcare providers are habitual time conscious.
When the client does not sense the same urgency for appointments or therapies, misunderstandings can occur. Adapting schedules, rearranging appointments and being sensitive to cultural variations to the meaning in time will promote better understanding between healthcare provide and client. Another cultural pattern that varies between ethnic or cultural groups is who makes the decisions. Frequently, the healthcare providers expect the parents to make healthcare decisions for a child. In some cultures, it may be a group decision or the decision may be made by the 'elder' in the family.