With Diversity, Doctors Need to Know More: News Roundup |

Training health care professionals in religio-cultural competence – so they can meet the needs of an increasingly diverse patient constituency – is a concept that hasn’t quite hit the tipping point and is not often in the news. But with the release of two reports and an interview with a Texas doctor this week on the necessity of cultural sensitivity in health care, this type of training is getting the attention that it deserves.

One report, which appears in the Journal of Medical Ethics focuses specifically on how the traditional health care system can accommodate the needs of observant Muslims.

In “Muslim patients and cross-gender interactions in medicine: an Islamic bioethical perspective,” Dr. Aasim I. Padela, an emergency room physician at the University of Michigan lays out the basic tenets of Islamic medical ethics and gives recommendations on addressing topics like dress code, seclusion and gender relations.

Citing the 7 million Muslims in the United States and the fact that it’s currently the fastest growing religion in the country, Dr. Padela says,

“Health care providers need a better understanding of how religious values and ethics can affect the care a patient seeks and then receives. When we accommodate our patients’ religious practices, we provide them with a more holistic quality of care” (University of Michigan Health System reports).

The other report out this week is from the Joint Commission, a non-profit that evaluates hospitals. “Advancing Effective Communication, Cultural Competence, and Patient- and Family-Centered Care: A Roadmap for Hospitals” says:

"A growing body of research documents that a variety of patient populations experience decreased patient safety, poorer health outcomes and lower quality care based on race, ethnicity, language, disability and sexual orientation. As cultural communication, mobility and other basic patient needs go unmet, hospitals will continue to put themselves and their patients at risk for negative consequences." (Diversity Inc. reports).

The report responds to the latest research with tips for improving communication, cultural competence and patient- and family-centered care.

Lastly, Austin’s The Statesman featured an interview with Dr. David Kessler, a specialist in electrophysiology and cardiac pacing who says hospital staff are responsible for providing care that is respectful of a patient’s culture.

He gives an example of when his knowledge of Judaism from his own Jewish background allowed him to be more sensitive to a patient’s needs. Sensing that scheduling heart surgery during Passover would be hard on his Jewish patient, Kessler says:

"I told my colleagues, ‘This is not an emergency. Surgery is imminent but it's not urgent,'" he said. "I had the personal insight to the holiday and knew this could wait until the next week. If you had a patient who was Muslim and Ramadan was coming up, would you really want to schedule a surgery that month if it's elective?" (The Statesman).

To that end, he underscores the need for health care professionals to get training in religio-cultural competence.

"Whether it's a class or reading the newspaper every day, it's incumbent upon you to get that training," he said. "That's what it means to be an informed citizen in this country."

Tanenbaum’s Religious Diversity in Health Care program was created to provide just that type of training. The need is there and it’s great to see leaders in the medical profession bringing awareness to this important issue.

To finish up, here are some other stories from around the web, including an update on Park51:

Around the Web:

A poll from Gallup says Religious Americans Enjoy Higher Wellbeing.

Education Week News writes that the Supreme Court is snubbing religious-expression cases.

According to a study from Ohio State University Research News Service, evidence is no match against the belief in false rumors concerning the proposed Islamic cultural center and mosque in Lower Manhattan.

Despite criticism from a Saudi prince and former benefactor, Imam Feisal is standing by his decision to build the cultural center several blocks from Ground Zero (Associated Press).

You might also like