We find if you communicate with patients they are more likely to comply with treatment, take their meds and participate in health prevention programs. People believe it will affect outcomes, which is the goal of medicine. Illness and disease varies by culture. Diverse belief systems exist on health, healing and wellness. Cultural attitudes affect relationships with physicians and other providers.
Patients seek complementary and alternative health services.
There's a shortage of minority or culturally diverse physicians. With a 1991 Kellogg Foundation grant, the Seattle program is one of a growing number of organizations that offer diversity training to physicians and for other groups that seek to improve minority care. The AAMC encourages both its member medical schools and residency programs to increase diversity training. We have quite a few doctors who are non-U.S. trained. We need to give them cultural diversity training to help them function better with U.S.-born patients.