ANTH 227 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Traditional Medicine, Eleutherococcus Senticosus, Intercultural Competence
Document Summary
Ems contain explanations of any or all of five issues; etiology; onset of symptoms, pathophysiology; course of sickness (severity and type of sick role); and treatment. Ems are tied to specific systems of knowledge and values centered in the different social sectors and subsectors of the health care system. Ems construct different clinical realities for the same sickness episode, which in turn are reflected in discrepant expectations and miscommunication, and ultimately in poor clinical care. These conflicts reveal the underlying discrepancies in status and power between the key participants in health care relationships. (kleinman 1978 87-88) When the ems of patients, families, and practitioners are alike there will be improved clinical communication, fewer problems in clinical management and better patient adherence and satisfaction. Conversely, when their ems are substantially dissimilar clinical communication and patient adherence and satisfaction will be worse, and there will be an increase of significant problems in clinical management. (kleinman 1978 pp 91).
