Interview Assignment

I am a 32 year old female biracial (African American and Latino) full-time student. I eat healthily but I don’t work out. I stay at home and I am a mother of a 1-year-old. Previously, I worked at culinary arts in the U.S. Navy and most recent I am an Esthetician. Besides, I don’t smoke but I am a social drinker. I cherish the average southern Black American culture. Following an assignment of the role played by other cultures in healthcare, I interviewed two individuals. One was a White and the second one was a Caucasian. During the interview, I informed my interviewees the interview was meant for a class assignment and their participation was completely voluntary. Therefore, my interview addressed cultural issues affecting the delivery of health care among people from White’s and Caucasian cultures

In the first interview, the participant was a white woman. First, she reported her age was thirty-three years old and was a full time dental assisting student. Besides, she reported being a mother of two children aged two years and four years respectively. Also, she reported to be a non-smoker, social drinker and working out three to four times a week. Second, my interviewee outlined some considerations healthcare providers should make when dealing with patients. For instance, she talked about the need for healthcare providers to treat patients with respect when it comes to their cultural backgrounds. Besides, she talked about the need for giving patients an opportunity to choose a doctor whom they feel comfortable with and who relates to them culturally. Nevertheless, she did not provide a rationale for why she felt the two considerations should be given priority. Third, when I asked her about the top five healthcare challenges she believed individuals in her cultural group were facing, she reported the question was hard for her and could not name any. Fourth, when I asked her about diseases or illnesses within her cultural group she believed needed to be addressed without hesitation, she outlined Opioid addiction, mental health, drug addiction, and obesity. Fifth, she reported these health risks/challenges were more prevalent within her community because of several reasons. For instance, she reported Opioid addiction was more prevalent because doctors prescribe tons of Opioid to patients with little pain provided they have a health insurance. Moreover, she reported mental health was more prevalent because white people had difficulties in managing stress and the effect of mental health drugs. Sixth, she recommended medical marijuana and cbd to replace Opioid and antidepressants to health care professionals working to improve health outcomes within her community. Lastly, she recommended looking at a person as a whole rather than treating a person like a number with a dollar sign to healthcare providers if there is a desire to improve health outcomes within her community.

In the second interview, the participant was an old Caucasian woman. First, she reported her age was 49 years, was an Esthetician, a wife, and mother of three daughters. Besides, she reported about her slight overweight condition, few times of workout in a week, and a careless habit of eating all over the place. Also, she reported lacking a diet plan such that she had eaten healthy on the day of the interview but the previous day she had eaten a lot of sugar. Second, my interviewee outlined some considerations healthcare providers need to make when dealing with patients. For instance, she talked about the need to communicate with patients effectively unless if the patient has some cultural considerations he/she would wish the health care provider to observe . Third, when I asked her about the top five healthcare challenges she believed individuals in her cultural group were facing, she outlined the following; high cost of seeing a doctor forcing some people to wait for hours because of inability to meet the cost, hard to get a referral to see a specialist such that the patient worsens while waiting, expensive healthcare insurance and inflexible methods of paying for insurance , expensive prescription costs forcing people to make the choice between life savings drugs and putting food on their table, and ineffectiveness of practitioners in their work. Fourth, when I asked her about diseases or illnesses within her cultural group she believed needed to be addressed immediately she outlined diabetes, obesity, heart disease, and mental health. According to her, diabetes and obesity go hand in hand and were more prevalent in her community because of the cultural upbringing in the south to celebrate, comfort, show love, and grieve with food. Additionally, she reported although many people workout, a significant number did not because of either lack of finances or ignorance. Fifth, she recommended health care providers to be taking time to listen to patients, and stop the habit of herding people in and out if health outcomes within her community were to improve. Lastly, she recommended a new beginning of practicing medicine instead of control by insurance companies if there is a desire to improve health outcomes within her community.

In conclusion, the interview covered cultural issues affecting the delivery of health care among people from White and Caucasian cultures. For instance, cultural considerations health care providers should take with their patients and healthcare challenges within the communities of the interviewees. Besides, the interview included questions on diseases or illnesses that need to be addressed within interviewees’ cultural groups, reasons healthcare challenges above are more prevalent, and recommendations to improve health outcomes within the communities of my interviewees. Therefore, the above-named issues were the basis of my interview with the two participants.