Cultural Differences Affect Clinical Outcomes

Cultural diversity can have a real impact on clinical outcomes. Ignoring culture can lead to negative health consequences in many ways:

• Patients may choose not to access needed services for fear of being misunderstood or disrespected;
• Providers may miss opportunities for screening because they are not familiar with the prevalence of conditions among certain minority groups (Lavizzo-Mourey and Mackenzie 1996; Lawson 1996; Moffic and Kinzie 1996);
• Providers may fail to take into account differing responses to medication (Lavizzo-Mourey and Mackenzie 1996; Lawson 1996; Moffic and Kinzie 1996);
• Providers may lack knowledge about traditional remedies, leading to harmful drug interactions (Lavizzo-Mourey and Mackenzie 1996; Lawson 1996; Moffic and Kinzie 1996);
• Providers may make diagnostic errors resulting from miscommunication (Lavizzo-Mourey and Mackenzie 1996; Lawson 1996; Moffic and Kinzie 1996);
• Patients may not adhere to medical advice because they do not understand or do not trust the provider;
• Providers may order fewer or more diagnostic tests for patients of different cultural backgrounds because they may not understand or believe the patient's description of symptoms.

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