A CULTURALLY-INFORMED COMMUNICATION MODEL

We live in a multicultural society and work in and with multiethnic teams, and that diversity can lead to miscommunication. As an individual's background is a major factor in good communication, the backgrounds and culture of a wide range of people in medical settings should be taken into account. The present paper describes a way to adjust one of the known interpersonal communication models to better fit multiethnic societies and promote better medical team communication, which can go far in minimizing miscommunications among providers between providers and patients. The communication models presently being followed by healthcare teams are noted, the interpersonal communication in diversified teams is reviewed, and the integration of the two subjects is then addressed. The limitation is that this is a theoretical work and has yet to be implemented in the field. It is hoped that the proposed approach will result in improving interpersonal communication in diversified communities and teams.