Cultural assessment in healthcare is important. Different authors stress on various frameworks for assessment which may define many particular aspects. Having selected a gender framework for cultural assessment, we would like to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of this specific method. To conduct an assessment in a correct way, it is important to distinguish between sex and gender. While sex denotes biological differences gender points at cultural aspects and social positions of people. It is also important to remember that both these notions, sex and gender, impact health issues. Sex, Gender, and Women’s Health report (2008) states that sex “seems to have more influence on the onset and progression of diseases than gender” (p. 1), while gender impacts women’s recognition of symptoms, consideration of health care quality and treatment.
Cameron and Bernardes (1998) have conducted research in this sphere and concluded that the gender approach has its disadvantages along with a number of advantages. Thus, gender differences are specific for healthy care as many diseases are gender elated. Thus, the possibility to assess the whole society in accordance with this division is a great idea for improving healthcare. At the same time this framework for cultural assessment does not offer the whole range of aspects which are important for diagnosis and treatment and it is the disadvantage which should be counted. Thus, having a number of advantages, the use of the only gender cultural assessment means for healthcare issues also results in inappropriate information selection. Therefore, more than one cultural assessment framework should be used for better understanding of health care issues in the society.
Reference List
Cameron, E., & Bernardes, J. (1998). Gender and disadvantage in health: Men’s health for a change. Sociology of Health and Illness, 20, 673-691.
Sex, Gender, and Women’s Health. (2008). Disease Control Priorities Project. Web.