Why is cultural competence important in health care

by | Mar 20, 2025 | Culture

 

 

Why is cultural competence important in health care? What could happen to a patient that has their culture ignored in a healthcare setting? As we know, a person’s culture is made up of family, friends, environment, history, race, etc. Let’s pick on religion for this topic. Choose a religion from the shortlist below and discuss what might happen to a patient in a hospital, for example, who does not have cultural competence.

 

Pick One:
Judaism
Buddhism
Muslim
Hinduism
Islam
Rastafarianism
Native American Religions

Sample solution

Dante Alighieri played a critical role in the literature world through his poem Divine Comedy that was written in the 14th century. The poem contains Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. The Inferno is a description of the nine circles of torment that are found on the earth. It depicts the realms of the people that have gone against the spiritual values and who, instead, have chosen bestial appetite, violence, or fraud and malice. The nine circles of hell are limbo, lust, gluttony, greed and wrath. Others are heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Dante’s Inferno in the perspective of its portrayal of God’s image and the justification of hell. 

In this epic poem, God is portrayed as a super being guilty of multiple weaknesses including being egotistic, unjust, and hypocritical. Dante, in this poem, depicts God as being more human than divine by challenging God’s omnipotence. Additionally, the manner in which Dante describes Hell is in full contradiction to the morals of God as written in the Bible. When god arranges Hell to flatter Himself, He commits egotism, a sin that is common among human beings (Cheney, 2016). The weakness is depicted in Limbo and on the Gate of Hell where, for instance, God sends those who do not worship Him to Hell. This implies that failure to worship Him is a sin.


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God is also depicted as lacking justice in His actions thus removing the godly image. The injustice is portrayed by the manner in which the sodomites and opportunists are treated. The opportunists are subjected to banner chasing in their lives after death followed by being stung by insects and maggots. They are known to having done neither good nor bad during their lifetimes and, therefore, justice could have demanded that they be granted a neutral punishment having lived a neutral life. The sodomites are also punished unfairly by God when Brunetto Lattini is condemned to hell despite being a good leader (Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). While he commited sodomy, God chooses to ignore all the other good deeds that Brunetto did.

Finally, God is also portrayed as being hypocritical in His actions, a sin that further diminishes His godliness and makes Him more human. A case in point is when God condemns the sin of egotism and goes ahead to commit it repeatedly. Proverbs 29:23 states that “arrogance will bring your downfall, but if you are humble, you will be respected.” When Slattery condemns Dante’s human state as being weak, doubtful, and limited, he is proving God’s hypocrisy because He is also human (Verdicchio, 2015). The actions of God in Hell as portrayed by Dante are inconsistent with the Biblical literature. Both Dante and God are prone to making mistakes, something common among human beings thus making God more human.

To wrap it up, Dante portrays God is more human since He commits the same sins that humans commit: egotism, hypocrisy, and injustice. Hell is justified as being a destination for victims of the mistakes committed by God. The Hell is presented as being a totally different place as compared to what is written about it in the Bible. As a result, reading through the text gives an image of God who is prone to the very mistakes common to humans thus ripping Him off His lofty status of divine and, instead, making Him a mere human. Whether or not Dante did it intentionally is subject to debate but one thing is clear in the poem: the misconstrued notion of God is revealed to future generations.

 

References

Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). Dante’s inferno: Seven deadly sins in scientific publishing and how to avoid them. Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed, 267.

Cheney, L. D. G. (2016). Illustrations for Dante’s Inferno: A Comparative Study of Sandro Botticelli, Giovanni Stradano, and Federico Zuccaro. Cultural and Religious Studies, 4(8), 487.

Verdicchio, M. (2015). Irony and Desire in Dante’s” Inferno” 27. Italica, 285-297.

Cultural competence in healthcare is vital because it ensures that patients receive care that respects and aligns with their individual beliefs and values. When a patient’s culture is ignored, it can lead to several negative outcomes, including misdiagnosis, treatment non-adherence, decreased patient satisfaction, and health disparities.

Let’s focus on Hinduism for this discussion.

Scenario: A Hindu Patient in a Non-Culturally Competent Hospital

  • Dietary Restrictions:
    • Many Hindus are vegetarian, and some avoid specific foods like beef. If the hospital does not offer vegetarian options or fails to recognize specific dietary restrictions, the patient may experience nutritional deficiencies and spiritual distress.
    • For example, approximately 30% of the Indian population, where Hinduism is the majority religion, is vegetarian.
  • Prayer and Rituals:
    • Hindus often engage in daily prayers and rituals. If the hospital does not provide a quiet space for prayer or accommodate religious practices, the patient may experience spiritual distress.

Cultural competence in healthcare is vital because it ensures that patients receive care that respects and aligns with their individual beliefs and values. When a patient’s culture is ignored, it can lead to several negative outcomes, including misdiagnosis, treatment non-adherence, decreased patient satisfaction, and health disparities.

Let’s focus on Hinduism for this discussion.

Scenario: A Hindu Patient in a Non-Culturally Competent Hospital

  • Dietary Restrictions:
    • Many Hindus are vegetarian, and some avoid specific foods like beef. If the hospital does not offer vegetarian options or fails to recognize specific dietary restrictions, the patient may experience nutritional deficiencies and spiritual distress.
    • For example, approximately 30% of the Indian population, where Hinduism is the majority religion, is vegetarian.
  • Prayer and Rituals:
    • Hindus often engage in daily prayers and rituals. If the hospital does not provide a quiet space for prayer or accommodate religious practices, the patient may experience spiritual distress.
    • For example, some Hindus may prefer to have a sacred thread (Janeu) on their body, and it would be important to respect this.
  • Modesty and Gender Roles:
    • Hindu culture often emphasizes modesty, particularly for women. If the hospital staff does not respect these values, such as by providing same-sex healthcare providers or ensuring privacy during examinations, the patient may feel uncomfortable and violated.
  • End-of-Life Care:
    • Hindus have specific rituals and practices related to death and dying, including the importance of cremation and the presence of family members. If the hospital staff is unaware of these practices, they may not be able to provide culturally sensitive end-of-life care, causing distress to the patient and their family.
    • For example, the presence of family during the last moments of life is very important, and the placement of holy water in the mouth, and other rituals are also important.
  • Medication Administration:
    • Some medications may contain animal-derived ingredients that violate Hindu dietary restrictions. If the staff does not check with the patient, the patient may unknowingly consume something that is against their religion.
  • Communication:
    • Language barriers can also be a significant issue. If the hospital does not provide a translator, the patient may not be able to fully understand their treatment options.
    • Also, some Hindus may prefer Ayurvedic medicine, and it is important to communicate with the patient about possible interactions between Ayurvedic medicine and western medicine.

These examples highlight how a lack of cultural comp

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