At first glance, medicine and culture do not have much in common. Nevertheless, there are many intersections between them because medicine develops in the context of culture; it is influenced by the peculiarities of the country’s historical development, traditions existing in society, and even national character traits. Similarly, the development of medical knowledge affects people’s self-image, the spread of optimistic or pessimistic moods in society, and accepted norms of human behavior. It is interesting to consider the relationship between culture and medicine since additional knowledge can contribute to a better understanding of medicine and cultural studies development.
Of particular concern in the health, the sector is the newly gaining momentum of discrimination on racial and ethnic grounds. Many colored and Latin American doctors have a problem that patients refusing to go to their appointments because of their beliefs (Lakshmi & Oluwaseun, 2019). It is usually associated with a belief in the unprofessionalism of these doctors, but the real reason lies in personal intolerance towards races and ethnicities (Ledsy & Patrick, 2019). It is challenging to convince patients that a doctor will do his job efficiently, regardless of race and ethnicity. Medical institutions often make concessions and refer patients to white doctors. It seems absurd in an age of vast cultural diversity, but older people are often unshakable in their beliefs (Pamela, 2019). This fact slows down increasing cultural diversity because there is a risk that people will stop seeking medical help in medical institutions (Ashley, 2021). A qualitative result will be possible with the help of broad cooperation and faith in the effectiveness of work on cultural diversity.
Management must play a crucial role in improving cultural diversity because their work affects the effectiveness of the health system. Managers are obliged to give freedom of action to those responsible for diversity and monitor the results of their work. Success will happen only if all actions are coordinated taking into account all risks. The involvement of a manager in the work of young and progressive employees will positively impact the activities of the entire healthcare system. The manager needs to receive an annual report on the work done to adjust cultural diversity.
References
Ashley, B. (2021). Cultural diversity in healthcare: why it matters, and what’s next. Rasmussen University. Web.
Lakshmi, N., & Oluwaseun, O. A. (2019). Cultural competence and ethnic diversity in healthcare. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Global Open, 7(5), 1-3.
Ledsy, G. E., & Patrick, B. (2019). Diversity improves performance and outcomes. Journal of the National Medical Association, 111(4), 383-392.
Pamela, N. (2019). Diversity has become a booming business. So where are the results? Time. Web.