Cultural Diversity and the Use of Complementary and Alternative Healthcare Practices
In the United States, growing use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) reflects an increasing diversity in health care practices, both among individuals from diverse cultures and among the general population (Leonard, 2001). This increased use is seen among individuals who are native to the United States and those who are newly arrived.
The extensive use of CAM practices among such a wide number of clients provides a tremendous challenge to health care providers. Health care providers must realize that many CAM practices originated in traditional medicine. Acupuncture, herbal medicine, massage, therapeutic touch, prayer, and other spiritually oriented healing practices are just a few examples. A culturally competent provider respects these traditions and, when appropriate, integrates them into the treatment plan (OMH, 2001).
The use of CAM does not always "sort out" along cultural lines. Each client must be treated as an individual to determine their use of CAM modalities. For example, a Navajo medicine man may use and practice traditional medicine but may also be on kidney dialysis. Today's health care provider cannot assume that a particular cultural group will engage in only culturally specific health care practices (Leonard, 2001).
Culturally sensitive health care can be provided only if health care professionals use their knowledge of diversity to develop and implement culturally sensitive care. With cultural competence and the appropriate knowledge of specific CAM therapies, the health care professional can determine CAM's compatibility with biomedical therapies.
Summary
The composition of the population in the United States and the resulting health care services are changing rapidly. These changes provide health care professionals with tremendous opportunities to bridge cultural gaps and incorporate new ways of treatment and disease prevention into their practices.
Theoretical knowledge about cultural competence is not enough. Health care professionals must acquire the knowledge, skill, and respect for differences that lead to cultural competence. By incorporating culturally competent care and CAM modalities with more traditional methods of healing, new partnerships and improved ways to restore and maintain health will be created. Both the health care provider and the client will benefit as a result.
