Culturally Sensitive Care in General Practice: Integrating Patients' and Providers' Perceptions

Robin Vandecasteele, Lenzo Robijn, Peter Stevens, Ewout Lauwers, Sara Willems, Stéphanie De Maesschalck

Keywords: culturally sensitive care; primary care; health equity; intercultural effectiveness

Introduction:

Given the pivotal role of primary healthcare in promoting public health, our research centers on the enhancement of equitable care and outcomes through culturally sensitive approaches. We delve into how general practitioners (GP) can be more effective in intercultural interactions and explore the conceptualization of cultural sensitivity in healthcare provision.

Method:

Through qualitative explorations, we investigate how GPs perceive cultural sensitivity in healthcare, including both their perceptions of culturally sensitive care as a concept and encountered barriers and facilitators, such as coping with and adapting to culturally specific illness perceptions. These insights are complemented by a systematic review focusing on the patient perspective.

Results:

GPs conceptualize culturally sensitive care as a process, shaped by both patients' specific cultural preferences and GPs' perceived responsibilities. Within this framework, GPs may choose to: a) adjust their approach, customizing care to align with patients' cultural preferences; b) collaborate and negotiate with patients to reach a middle ground between cultural considerations and medical requirements; or c) expect patients to conform to medical norms, setting aside their cultural preferences. These perceptions are further nuanced by both convergent and divergent perspectives from patients.

Conclusions:

The integration of these insights provides a comprehensive understanding of cultural sensitivity in primary healthcare. Our research contributes to a greater understanding of how GPs can tailor their practices to meet the diverse needs of patients from various cultural backgrounds. Through this approach, we aim to strive for more equitable health outcomes for all individuals, irrespective of their cultural backgrounds.

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