Health Module
 

Unit 4:  Communicating with Health Care Providers

 

Lesson 1:  Health Care and Culture

Materials Needed:

  • Flipchart or board with markers/chalk.

  • Handout 1: Culture and Health Care Quiz and Handout 2:  The Proactive Patient

  • Computers with a word-processing program or e-mail.

Word Bank:

culture
healthcare provider
nurse practitioner
acupuncture
rubbing
pressing
informed consent
extended family
take initiative
side effects
alternative treatment
second opinion
 

Introductory Activity:  Whole Group Discussion

  • Every culture in the world has specific beliefs and practices for healthcare.  Why do you think everyone’s beliefs and practices for health care are so different?
  • These beliefs and practices can be the result of the environment people live in, the availability or lack of resources, religion, level of technology available and other things. 
  • How much do you know about the U.S. health care culture?  What is one difference between health care in your native country and the US?

 

Activity 1:  Handout 1: Culture and Health Care Quiz

Notes The quiz is long and may contain words that are unfamiliar to your learners.  You may need to preteach some words or choose some of the questions to focus on during this class session. 

  • Now I’m going to give you a handout that has a quiz on it.  The quiz is all about differences in health care culture.  Take the quiz by yourself to see what you know about the subject.

The handout instructs learners to discuss their answers with a partner when they have finished the quiz.  Ask the learners to report back to the large group about the discussion that they had with their partner.

  • What ideas on the quiz surprised you the most?
  • Did you and your partner disagree at all? If so, what did you disagree about?

 

Activity 2:  Analyzing health care beliefs

  • I’m going to give you a topic for writing.  Write on the computer.  You can use Word or send me your writing in an e-mail.

  • Choose one of the U.S. health care system's practices and beliefs.  Write a paragraph about it.  Explain why you think it is used in this country, and if you think it is good or not.

  • Write a second paragraph about one practice or belief from other cultures.  Explain why you think it may be used.  Do you think it is better or worse than the U.S. practice?  Or is it just different?  Explain your opinion.

  • Share your paragraph with the class.  Do others feel the same as you?

 

Activity 3:  Proactive Communication with the Health Care Provider

  • In the United States health care providers are very busy with many patients every day.  Now patients are expected to be proactive.   This is becoming part of our health care culture.  Do you know what proactive means?

  • We’re going to read about this now on a handout called “The Proactive Patient.”

Distribute the handout.  Have students read aloud to the whole group so that the recommendations on the page can be discussed as they come up.  When they have finished the reading and understand the concept of being proactive, they can follow the instructions at the bottom of the page for writing a dialogue.

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