Breaking Cultural Barriers in Healthcare: The Power of Transcultural Mediation

In countries with diverse migrant populations, connecting individuals to healthcare institutions can be a significant challenge. Cultural and language barriers often hinder doctor-patient communication, leading to misunderstandings and inaccurate diagnoses. To overcome these obstacles, medical practitioners must adopt innovative approaches to reach patients and provide effective care.

The Solution: Transcultural Mediation

In France, pioneers Serge Bouznah and Catherine Lewertowski have developed a groundbreaking practice: transcultural mediation. This approach has been refined over two decades, and their book, Spirits in the Consulting Room, shares the stories of eight patients, mainly migrants, and their families.

Each chapter delves into the unique experiences of patients such as Christelle, Djibril, Moncef, Alhassane, Jacinthe, Amy, Cyril, Alice, and Pierre, highlighting how their cultural backgrounds shape their understanding of symptoms. The book recounts the challenges of translating these cultural nuances into terms that medical professionals can grasp.

EQUALIZING THE POWER DYNAMIC

The book demonstrates how trained transcultural mediators can help redress the power imbalance between doctors and migrant patients. These mediators serve as advocates, respecting the authority of patients’ cultural backgrounds and experiences, rather than solely siding with medical professionals.

The groundbreaking insights presented in Spirits in the Consulting Room can be applied to any medical situation where language and cultural barriers exist between doctors and patients. By adopting transcultural mediation, healthcare providers can improve patient outcomes, enhance cultural understanding, and foster more empathetic care.

Book Details

Publisher: Rutgers University Press

Publication Date: November 11, 2022

Language: English

Hardcover: 192 pages

ISBN-10: 1978829876

ISBN-13: 978-1978829879

Reading Age: 16 years and up