The main assertions in the essay on the Asian American Culture are that cultural differences between Asian and American ways of life affect how Asian Americans interact with health services. The essay mentions three issues in particular. The first one is a preference of herbal remedies for minor ailments by Asian Americans.
Secondly, the essay claims Asian Americans tend to rely on social support from family and friends, and thirdly, the use of native languages is a major factor in the quality of healthcare for Asian Americans. There is a reason to agree with the assertion that Asian Americans show a preference for herbal remedies to treat minor ailments.
The uniqueness of Asian Americans when it comes to healthcare access comes from the long history of the use of herbal remedies found in the entire Asian region. On the other hand, western medicine as taught and administered in formal hospitals is a relatively new approach to medicine for Asians when viewed from the long history of herbal medicine.
Therefore, Asian Americans tend to trust their acculturation towards herbal medicine more than western medicine. The philosophy underlying herbal medicine focuses on symptomatic relief. This means that as soon as a patient loses the symptoms of an ailment, the patient stops using remedies. This difference in approach underlies the tendency of Asian Americans to fail to finish their dosages.
This is not a sign of a deliberate failure to acknowledge the efficacy of western medicine. It is simply a difference in the orientation towards medicine. In this sense, there is a need to stress to Asian American patients the importance of finishing their dosages especially when it comes to medicines such as antibiotics where a patient may experience symptomatic relief faster than the complete eradication of the disease-causing agents.
On the matter of language, it is agreeable to have caregivers who understand the native languages of Asian Americans. Patients tend to use their perception of the meaning of words when talking to healthcare professionals. If a patient has been in America for a long time, then the patient will try to differentiate a migraine from a generalized headache.
This may not be possible for one who uses English for a brief period while in the United States. The patient may not tell the difference between the two. However, in their native language, a patient can explain better the nature of pain, which in turn will improve the quality of healthcare that medical professionals can provide.
The final aspect of consideration is a social approach to patient care. Asian Americans come from a culture that stresses communal life as opposed to the individualistic culture of the west. This trait is also one developed over centuries. It is naïve to expect Asian Americans to handle hospitalization and medical care any differently. Each person belongs to the community, and the community has a right to participate in their lives.
Therefore, Asian Americans make demands to be with their family members and relatives while in hospital. In conclusion, the aversion towards western medicine, and the tendency to stop the medication as soon as a patient experiences symptomatic relief is an expression of the Asian traditional medicine that stresses symptomatic relief. Secondly using native languages can improve the quality of healthcare for Asian Americans.
Thirdly, the participation of a patient’s social network during recovery improves the experience of a patient in a healthcare setting. American health institutions should encourage because it provides patients with a very conducive environment for recuperation.
References
Bauer, M., & Nay, R. (2008). Factors Associated with Constructive Nursing Staff-Family Relationships in Care of Older Adults in the Institutional Setting. A Systematic Review. International Journal of Evidence-Based Healthcare, 23-45.
Miller, E., & Webb, L. (2011). Active Listening and Attending: Communication Skills and the Healthcare Environement. In L. Webb, Nursing: Communication Skills for Practice (pp. 52-72). Oxford: Oxford University Press