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

Cultural Sensitivity - Essay ExampleHealth disturbance disparities deal inequalities in regards to rank, social status and age. Disparities in the health care system are closely linked to equity. There are various factors that lead to the differences among individuals. The US population is highly multi-ethnic, and it is mandatory to understand the various cultures (Diller, 10). In spite of the advancements made in the health care system, there are increasing differences in health status among Hispanics, Native Americans, African Americans, Haitians, Jamaicans and Pacific Islanders (Diller, 10). Additionally, the challenges set about the healthcare sector have increased over the years as the population becomes much ethnically diverse. The future 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 true from the statistics shown by the rec ent studies conducted on the population. In the past decade, there was a relative increase in ethnic sort outs 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 census conducted in 2000 reinforce this argument. This elevate emphasizes the need for cultural competency in the health care system. The table 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 different ethnic groups have their native languages and hence may not communicate fluently in English. This calls for the need of interpreters for various language s (Weinstein, 447). Secondly, patients from different groups are conservative and are reluctant to talk about sexual matters and other personal problems. Thirdly, there live on clinical differences among the different ethnic groups, for example, the prevalence to some diseases including hypertension and diabetes. The fourth challenge is ethics Medical practitioners should have respect for different cultures and beliefs while treatment their patients. Last but not least is the problem of send 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