The practice of medicine intends to provide the highest possible standard of care to the patients that are entrusted to its care. Medical practitioners have a duty to the profession as well as the communities in which they exist to ensure the best health outcomes from their application of medicine. In most cases, these practitioners deal with individuals from diverse backgrounds. There is no homogeneity in the culture of the patients. In a particular community, there can be multiple demographics divided along ethnic, age, religious, and race lines. The culture, norms, and values of the community inform the practice of medicine. Optimal patient outcomes depend on the medical fraternity’s ability to respond to the unique characteristics of their patients’ identities. This essay examines the role of culture, norms, and values in shaping the direction of medical practice with references to the narrator’s journey through the world of medicine in Nawal El-Saadawi’s ‘Memoirs of a woman doctor.’
The narrator’s experience with medicine is shaped by her culture. She comes from a Muslim family which is conservative and riddled with sexism. She chooses medicine because she wants to prove her detractors wrong (El Saadawi). In her formative years, her practice of medicine is informed and shaped by her culture. She is the only woman in the dissecting room. Moreover, the narrator always stands out as a female doctor with male patients reluctant yet yielding to her authority. She excels because of the chip on her shoulder. By the end of the story, she infuses care in her service delivery to her patients because she realizes it is better for both herself and the patients to see them as human beings rather than bodies.
The conventional belief is that the practice of medicine should be informed solely by scientific methods and knowledge. This school of thought holds that medicine is an exact science. However, science does not have to start and end with the laboratory and modern medicine. Taking a purely scientific approach denies the patient a chance to receive well-rounded care that guarantees better outcomes. The narrator in the story started out as a hard doctor who approached the practice as a purely scientific endeavor (El Saadawi). If someone is ill, they are tested and diagnosed, then treated using proven scientific treatments. However, this approach is a far cry from holistic care, which guarantees better health outcomes for the patients. Holistic care acknowledges that there is more to disease than just the patients’ physical symptoms (Yuan, Hua, and Porr 126). As the narrator realizes, illnesses affect both the patient and their community (El Saadawi). Although the patients are just bodies to her, they are people’s kin. Similarly, the treatment must factor in these environmental factors that influence the patient’s well-being. Holistic care addresses the patient’s spiritual, emotional, and social aspects in addition to the physical manifestations of the disease.
The disparities demonstrate the importance of allowing culture to shape the practice of medicine in disease incidences among different demographic populations. Furthermore, research shows significant disparities in health outcomes for different communities even when they receive similar applications of medicine. For instance, one of the reasons for disparities in health outcomes among different communities is adherence to medication or lack thereof (McQuaid, Elizabeth, and Landier 202). Since the narrator is native to Egypt, she understands the nuances of cultural factors such as religion in the patients’ lives (El Saadawi). Due to their culture, some ethnic minorities prefer complementary and alternative medicine in treating their illnesses. Thus, they are less likely to disclose their use of these alternative treatments for fear of judgment or dismissal. Thus, the practitioner should factor this information into their practice of medicine when dealing with patients from these groups.
Therefore, it is essential to note that holistic care requires culture and norms to influence the practice of medicine. The patient’s culture influences the immediate environment that affects their illness and recovery. Research shows that holistic care drastically improves patient treatment outcomes (Yuan, Hua, and Porr 130). It requires medical practitioners to accompany clinical care with spiritual and social care. As the narrator comes to realize, diagnosing and prescribing the latest drugs and surgical procedures is not enough (El Saadawi). This approach’s success is limited by human nature because there is more to people than just their physical bodies. The spiritual and social aspects of patient welfare can only be addressed by understanding the culture and norms of the individual. Thus, holistic care is anchored on culturally competent care.
Culturally competent care refers to the process of delivering healthcare services that are tailored to the patient’s social, cultural, religious, and spiritual needs (Nair, Lakshmi, and Adetayo). It involves meeting the patient at their points of diversity and accommodating the unique requirements that come with it. This is encouraged as long as it improves health outcomes. For example, the ethnic groups whose cultural beliefs prioritize alternative and complementary medicine over contemporary treatments should receive understanding rather than scorn. Cultural competence herein requires understanding the beliefs and practices of the patient and factoring them into treatment whenever possible (Nair, Lakshmi, and Adetayo). For instance, if the alternative treatments do not interact with the prescribed modern medicine, the practitioner should encourage the patient to continue with both. Even if there is no proof that the alternative medicine works, it can have a placebo effect and supplement the function of the contemporary medication.
By allowing culture to influence the practice of medicine, the practitioners increase the patients’ trust in the system. The narrator learns to interact better with the patients and develops strong bonds with them in the short time they are in her care. In addition to this, they improve health outcomes by addressing medication adherence issues among patients whose cultures do not encourage contemporary medicine. It is not unscientific to allow humanity and empathy into the practice of medicine. Human beings are unique. This uniqueness is informed by their cultures and beliefs. Medicine’s primary goal is to improve people by providing the highest standard of care. Culturally competent care and holistic practice are some of the ways in which medicine can cater to the diversity of patients without compromising the quality of care. Therefore, it is essential for healthcare organizations to train their employees in the provision of culturally competent care and ensure that it is incorporated into all patient interactions.
Works Cited
El Saadawi, Nawal. Memoirs of a woman doctor. Saqi, 2013.
McQuaid, Elizabeth L., and Wendy Landier. “Cultural issues in medication adherence: disparities and directions.” Journal of general internal medicine 33.2 (2018): 200-206.
Nair, Lakshmi, and Oluwaseun A Adetayo. “Cultural Competence and Ethnic Diversity in Healthcare.” Plastic and reconstructive surgery. Global open vol. 7,5 e2219. 16 May. 2019, doi:10.1097/GOX.0000000000002219
Yuan, Hua, and Caroline Porr. “Promoting Holistic Care by Advancing Cultural Competence of Nursing Students in Mainland China.” Collaborative Innovation Networks. Springer, Cham, 2019. 125-131.
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