►«This Website is dedicated to all those who believe that they are always learning and try to understand views that are different from their own»
«The process of dying, perhaps more than any other moment in the course of medical care, can accentuate cultural difference between patients, families, and providers» [Krakauer, Crenner & Fox 2002: 184]
THE DEATH OF A CULTURE IS THE DEATH OF CIVILIZATION
►With the globalization of medical science, there is a concomitant need to better understand cross-cultural differences . This ethical imperative is perhaps most critical during life's final chapter when diverse populations invoke their religious traditions and doctrines to questions of death and dying. To meet the needs of dying patients and their families, practitioners may turn to the convenience of this Website to provide more culturally-competent care.
►In this Website we sought to determine a source of information about how religious beliefs inform end-of-life care.
►Cultural influences are difficult to ascertain in medical practice. Deep-rooted cultural perspectives require in-depth qualitative research methods, something uncommon or often unaccepted in medical culture.
►Sometimes in developed nations there is resistance to exploring the remnants of ancient traditions and cultural beliefs, which may be influencing health care. More pragmatic explanations for differences in attitude tend to prevail such as the calibration of research design, the organization of medical care or the relationship between the health care system and the patient.
►Because of this deficiency of cross-cultural research in health care we may form an unfounded impression that culture is not a significant determinant of health and views on end of life.
►Impact of the Attitudes and Actions of Health Care Professionals: The attitudes and actions of health care professionals were pivotal in allowing the process of anticipatory mourning to not simply occur but to actually progress. All parents described the attitudes and actions of staff members as having a profound and lasting effect on their experience surrounding the loss of their child. When this experience was positive (when parents perceived staff as compassionate, sensitive, and intuitive to the parent’s needs, yet respectful of privacy), they recalled the experience in a favorable manner.
|
