The Latino Patient - Introduction

The Latino Patient

The next piece of literature I am working through is The Latino Patient: A Cultural Guide for Health Care Providers by Nilda Chong, MD, DrPH, MPH.

Chong begins her book with a personal vignette about her experience 35 years ago as a doctor in a rural part of a Latin American country. Along with a team of health professionals, she was part of a temporary clinic set up in a very rural area in the tropical rain forest. As the sun sank beneath the dense canopy of the forest and the team packed up their equipment after a long day of work, a woman approached her, barefoot and sweating with a child on her back, and asked if her child could be seen by the doctor. The woman proceeded to explain that she had left her village at 4am that morning to walk to the clinic but was delayed by a flooded river and had to wait 2 hours for the water to subside before she could swim across with the child in tow. The medical team was exhausted after providing medical and dental treatment to over 500 patients that day and Chong thought to her herself that if she said yes to this lady, she would have to say yes to every other person who sought attention at that point. However, the team leader pulled her aside and asked her to imagine what the lady had gone through just to arrive at the clinic. The team agreed to provide treatment to the lady and any other that might come along. The experience greatly impacted Chong as she had never thoroughly contemplated the issues that the people living in such a rural area face on a daily basis and could not relate to the woman's suffering. This experience, among others, inspired Chong to write The Latino Patient so that health professionals who work with patients from a Latin American background might be able to have a more thorough understanding of their culture. She addresses the unique aspects of the Latino culture, including relevant values, health status, beliefs, and practices as well as appropriate ways to interact with and treat Latino patients in order to most effectively and respectfully provide treatment.

The Latin American population in the United States has been growing significantly in the recent past and will continue to grow in the future. In 2002, 13.3% of the population was Latino and it is thought that by the year 2050 that number will have grown to 25%. With this in mind, it has become increasingly important for health care provides to know how to appropriate interact with the Latino population. For non-Latino health professionals, understanding the culture is essential to providing "culturally competent care." This includes establishing sensitive and effective communication with the patients during their time in the clinic and understanding the cultural differences. It is important to understand the critical cultural values and to know a handful of tactics that allow health care providers to interact in a culturally respectful way. As I am reading, I am excited to be able to compare what this book has to say about Latino patients living in the US with the patients I am in contact with in Latin America. I hope to be able to put into practice some of the advice that Chong offers, not only during my time in Peru but also when I become a health professional myself.

Chong, N. (2002). "Latino Patient: A Cultural Guide for Health Care Providers." Yarmouth,  ME: Intercultural Press.