But eye contact is considered rude in Asian cultures. Getting approval from elders on medical decisions and validating traditional foods and herbal remedies to treat diseases can lead to trust in Asian and South American families. Some physicians better address these subtle issues than others, Dr. Molina says. And some physicians scoff. Tailoring medicine to a patient's cultural differences is divisive, racist, and can only lead to anxiety in patients.
Most providers disagree.
It can help explain why patients fail to comply with medication orders or distrust the medical establishment. It can also offer important clues about ethnicity and disease states. Unfortunately, nobody is tracking this data across ethnic lines. Getting more minorities through medical school will help, he says. Recognizing culture's effect on medicine is a start, says Kaiser Permanente's Dr. Gilbert.