BHS 414 Cross Cultural Health Perspectives (Mod 1 CBT) - Essay Example

Module Case Introduction to Health and Culture The basic difference between the Native American and western system of medicine lies in the fact that Native American medicine is based on intuition, while western system of medicine is run by sheer logic. In western medicine the treatment is based along the lines of strict protocols which are supposed to be learned and followed, without fail, by every medical student who goes to medical school. It can be said that the whole system is systematic and every step is charted out based on the research and work of physicians in the past.

There are constant up gradations to the way the treatment is carried out through various health organisations who carry out detailed statistical analysis to find out and finally implement the ‘most effective’ treatment regimen, so in a way, the whole system in quite mechanistic. On the contrary, Native American medicine is based on what the physician ‘feels’ is best for the person. And the patients are never referred to as cases. There is an effort made to understand the life force flowing within the person and understanding its interaction with the environment.

There is a belief in the synchronicity of the whole universe of which we are a part. Efforts are directed towards understanding the environment of the person and his interaction with it. Allopathy focuses more on the physical plane, one reason why psychiatry fails miserably when it comes to treating some mental illnesses. Whereas native American medicine encompasses all the realms of existence including physical, mental, spiritual, ethereal- existence of some of which modern medicine even doubts.

It goes beyond what the senses can perceive in the physical word so the word proof has limited meaning. Using the words in common parlance, the modern medicine is based on ‘science’ whereas native American medicine is based on ‘art’. Now there should be a pragmatic approach dealing with both broad, apparently different forms of healing, keeping the well being and good health of the people at large at the forefront. Referring to the case study in question here, Mr. Wolf and his wife should be given a balanced view point so that he can utilize the best of what both forms of medicine have on offer.

As a health care provider first of all care should be taken to make sure that Mr. Wolf should not take a traditional medicine, which in the process of healing brings the levels of antibiotics to toxic levels for the body. This should be conveyed to the patient and he should be advised to properly inform the traditional healer about this treatment. One of the biggest strength of modern medicine is its ability to cure acute infective conditions by the use of potent antibiotics. The side effects of these can be made good by traditional American healing which would go a long way in restoring the mental and spiritual health of the person which may get imbalanced by disease and drugs.

When caring for the client, the health care provider must strive to involve not only the client, but also the family and tribal community as a means to affirm the cultural context of the care (Trimble, 1982). So the patient should be shown the right picture and that can be achieved by properly stressing the usefulness of modern medicine in the diagnosis and treatment of prostitis, showing adequate respect for traditional medicine and trusting its role played in preventing the occurrence of such disease by promoting healthier way of living which is marked by harmony internally and as well as externally with the environment, therefore, ensuring that the patient doesn’t find any friction and does not default the medicine intake thereby putting his health to risk.

The care giver must recognise that she/he is part of a traditional healing process. By becoming a part of the circle of healing, the caregiver becomes a part of the complex community of the AI (Moses & Wilson, 1985). Reference:Moses, Wilson. Indian lives: Essays on nineteenth and twentieth century Native American leaders. University of New Mexico Press, 1985.Trimble, J.E.. American Indian mental health and the role of training for prevention. Oregon Health sciences University Press, 1982.