Cultural Considerations

Cultural Considerations The Native American culture and their perception of health and healthcare are quite different from other cultures, especially those who are from a Caucasian culture. When it comes to the world of healthcare and different cultures, there is always room for errors and miscommunications. Therefore, knowing the six principles of cross-cultural communication will help health care providers move forward toward effective communication regardless of the many differences encountered while interacting with people from different cultures and linguistic backgrounds (Cheesebro, O'Connor, & Rios, 2010). Realizing how different cultures affects how people communicate, understand, and respond to health information will help health care professionals in assisting people from different cultural backgrounds. According to Indian Health Service, Health Communications (n.d.), "Cultural and linguistic competency of health professionals contribute to health literacy" (para. 1). Therefore, recognizing the cultural beliefs, values, attitudes, traditions, language preferences, and health practices of American Indians and applying that knowledge to communicate in a manner that will produce positive health outcomes can only help health care professionals move toward effective communication despite the cross-cultural differences (Indian Health Service, Health Communications, n.d.). Thus, keeping the six principles of cross-cultural communication in mind will help health care providers move toward communications that are more effective. The first principle suggests the culture and language barriers between people are huge, which leaves a greater likelihood of a communication breakdown. Secondly, when communication breakdowns occur, the cultural differences are usually the issue and often results in a misunderstanding.