Abstract
BackgroundPatient-centered culturally sensitive health care (PC-CSHC) has emerged as a primary approach to health care. This care focuses on the cultural diversity of the patients rather than the views of the health care professionals. PC-CSHC enables the patient to feel comfortable, respected, and trusted in the health care delivery process. As users of traditional and complementary medicine (T&CM) rarely inform their conventional health care providers of such use, the providers need to identify the users of T&CM themselves to avoid negative interaction with conventional medicine and to be able to provide them with PC-CSHC. Since the patterns of traditional medicine (TM) use are different to those of complementary medicine (CM), the aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence, and the health- and sociodemographic associations for visits to TM- and CM providers in an urban population.MethodThe data were collected through two self-administrated questionnaires from the seventh survey of the Tromsø Study, a population-based cohort study conducted in 2015–2016. All inhabitants of Tromsø aged 40 or above were invited (n = 32,591) and n = 21,083 accepted the invitation (response rate 65%). Pearson chi-square tests and one-way ANOVA tests were used to describe differences between the groups whereas binary logistic regressions were used for adjusted values.ResultsThe results revealed that 2.5% of the participants had seen a TM provider, 8.5% had seen a CM provider whereas 1% had visited both a TM and a CM provider during a 12-month period. TM users tended to be older, claim that religion was more important to them, have poorer economy and health, and have lower education compared to CM users. We found that more than 90% of the participants visiting T&CM providers also used conventional medicine.ConclusionA considerable number of the participants in this study employed parallel health care modalities including visits to conventional, traditional, and complementary medicine providers. To offer patient-centered culturally sensitive health care that is tailored to the patients’ treatment philosophy and spiritual needs, conventional health care providers need knowledge about, and respect for their patients’ use of parallel health care systems.
Highlights
Patient-centered culturally sensitive health care (PC-CSHC) has emerged as a primary approach to health care
T&complementary medicine (CM) providers were visited by 2106 participants (10%); n = 526 (2.5%) had visited a traditional medicine (TM) provider, n = 1782 (8.5%) had visited a CM provider whereas n = 202 (1%) had visited TM as well as CM providers (Fig. 2)
Associations for use of traditional and complementary medicine (T&CM) We found that age, single or living with a partner, household income, finances, educational level, ethnicity, importance of religion, self-reported health, and hospitalization associated differently for participants visiting TM providers compared to participants visiting CM providers
Summary
Patient-centered culturally sensitive health care (PC-CSHC) has emerged as a primary approach to health care. This care focuses on the cultural diversity of the patients rather than the views of the health care professionals. Patient-centered health care has emerged as a primary approach to health care This approach emphasises a partnership between patients and healthcare providers, acknowledges the patients’ preferences and values, and promotes flexibility regarding well-being in the provision of health care [1]. One important part of patient-centered culturally sensitive health care (PC-CSHC) is to empower the patient [5] This care focuses on the cultural diversity of the patients rather than the views of the health care professionals [6]. PC-CSHC enables the patients to feel comfortable, respected, and trusted in the health care delivery process [4]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
