Racial and cultural minority experiences and perceptions of health care provision in a mid-western region

Abstract

BackgroundDisparities across a number of health indicators between the general population and particular racial and cultural minority groups including African Americans, Native Americans and Latino/a Americans have been well documented. Some evidence suggests that particular groups may receive poorer standards of care due to biased beliefs or attitudes held by health professionals. Less research has been conducted in specifically non-urban areas with smaller minority populations.MethodsThis study explored the self-reported health care experiences for 117 racial and cultural minority Americans residing in a Mid-Western jurisdiction. Prior health care experiences (including perceived discrimination), attitudes towards cultural competence and satisfaction with health care interactions were ascertained and compared across for four sub-groups (African-American, Native American, Latino/a American, Asian American). A series of multiple regression models then explored relationships between a concert of independent variables (cultural strength, prior experiences of discrimination, education level) and health care service preferences and outcomes.ResultsOverall, racial/cultural minority groups (African Americans, Native Americans, Latino/a Americans, and Asian Americans) reported general satisfaction with current healthcare providers, low levels of both health care provider racism and poor treatment, high levels of cultural strength and good access to health care services. Native American participants however, reported more frequent episodes of poor treatment compared to other groups. Incidentally, poor treatment predicted lower levels of treatment satisfaction and racist experiences predicted being afraid of attending conventional health care services. Cultural strength predicted a preference for consulting a health care professional from the same cultural background.ConclusionsThis study provided a rare insight into minority health care expectations and experiences in a region with comparatively lower proportions of racial and cultural minorities. Additionally, the study explored the impact of cultural strength on health care interactions and outcomes. While the bulk of the sample reported satisfaction with treatment, the notable minority of participants reporting poor treatment is still of some concern. Cultural strength did not appear to impact health care behaviours although it predicted a desire for cultural matching. Implications for culturally competent health care provision are discussed within.

Accessing health services in India: experiences of seasonal migrants returning to Nepal

“…In contrast, a small minority of FGDs participants stated that they had positive health care experiences while being in India. Some studies also report that migrants received good-quality health care whilst working abroad [ 20 , 32 ]. Possible reasons for this improvement include the lifestyle changes and health benefits that accompanied them which some migrant workers in the US experienced [ 33 ].…”

Accessing health services in India: Experiences of seasonal migrants returning to Nepal.

“…In contrast, a small minority of FGDs participants stated that they had a positive health care experiences while being in India. Some studies also report that migrants received good-quality health care whilst working abroad [19,31]. Possible reasons for this improvement include the lifestyle changes and health bene ts that accompanied them which some migrant workers in the US experienced.…”

Tangled pasts, healthier futures: Nursing strategies to improve American Indian/Alaska Native health equity

“…However, extant literature suggests that many AI/AN patients do not consider their relationships with healthcare providers to evince trust or mutual communication (Keltner, Kelly, & Smith, 2004). Relational issues described by AI/AN patients include patterns of ineffectual communication; perceived cultural insensitivity and discrimination by providers; and aggressive or dominating approaches to care delivery from non-AI/AN providers (Shepherd et al, 2018;Vasilevska, Ross, Gesink, & Fisman, 2012;Warne, Kaur, & Perdue, 2012). For example, Walls et al (2015) found that over a third of the surveyed 218 adult American Indian patients with type two diabetes mellitus reported experiencing microaggressions from healthcare providers.…”

“…In the Walls et al (2015) study, microaggressions elevated patients' stress and sense of distrust and resulted in worsening symptoms and increased hospitalizations over a 1-year period. Generally, AI/AN patients report higher incidences of poor treatment from providers, resulting in decreased satisfaction and increased reluctance to engage in biomedically based treatment (Shepherd et al, 2018).…”

“…Similarly, nurses may not comprehend how deeply AI/AN distrust and misapprehension of healthcare services contextualize everyday healthcare encounters (Keltner et al, 2004;Shepherd et al, 2018). as well as our implicit and explicit roles as nurses within this system.…”