| Why CultureVision? A Healthcare Challenge While health care is a universal concept which exists in every cultural group, different cultures vary in the ways in which health and illness are perceived and how care is given. Culture is a predominate force in shaping behaviors, values, and beliefs that impact an individual's health and response to illness. The more recent the immigrant, the more likely he or she will be attached to their familiar cultural guidelines for health. However, the need for cultural competency reaches far beyond recent immigrants, as many patients you will encounter combine standard U.S. health care practices with elements of their original cultural health practices -- even those patients you may consider to now be mainstream American. There are widespread changes in the population as well as in the association between culture and healthcare. Health services providers will need to know what sorts of questions to ask, and will need to tailor treatments in order to effectively treat patients in comport with their values and cultural framework. NEXT >>
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