Cultural Sensitivity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Cultural Sensitivity - Essay lawsuitHealth c atomic number 18 disparities encompass inequalities in regards to rank, social status and age. Disparities in the health care constitution are closely linked to equity. There are various factors that lead to the differences among individuals. The US population is exceedingly multi-ethnic, and it is mandatory to understand the various cultures (Diller, 10). In spite of the advancements made in the health care system, in that respect are increasing differences in health status among Hispanics, Native Americans, African Americans, Haitians, Jamaicans and Pacific Islanders (Diller, 10). Additionally, the challenges facing the healthcare sector have increased over the years as the population becomes more ethnically diverse. The future tense of the health care system in the US will be influenced significantly by advancements in ethnic minorities.The composition of the US population has been changing dramatically over the years. This is tr ue from the statistics shown by the new studies conducted on the population. In the past decade, there was a relative increase in ethnic groups as follows non-Hispanic White 5.5%, African American, 16.4%, Hispanic, 65.3% and Pacific Islanders 123.5% (Diller, 11). If this development continues in the future, the number of ethnic minorities will continue rising. Statistics from the number conducted in 2000 reinforce this argument. This further emphasizes the ask for cultural competency in the health care system. The tabularise below shows the expected figures by 2042 (Diller, 11).Composition of the US populationEthnic group2009 (%)2050 projections (%)Native Americans1.62.0Asians59Hispanics1530Non- Hispanic Whites6646Source Diller, 12There are five key challenges facing health practitioners in ensuring cultural sensitivity. The main challenge is communication divergent ethnic groups have their native languages and hence may not communicate fluently in English. This calls for the n eed of interpreters for various languages (Weinstein, 447). Secondly, patients from different groups are conservative and are reluctant to talk about sexual matters and some other personal problems. Thirdly, there exist clinical differences among the different ethnic groups, for example, the prevalence to some diseases including hypertension and diabetes. The 4th challenge is ethics Medical practitioners should have respect for different cultures and beliefs while handling their patients. Last simply not least is the problem of trust Patients from different ethnic groups tend to be afraid of the figures in authority and fail to trust the care givers in hospitals.The issue of cultural diversity in the health care sector is here to stay, and there are numerous solutions to the problems emanating from this diversity. Health care providers should