6. Health Context and Culture
Module Outline:
- Learning Objectives
- Lecture
- Required Readings
- Supplemental Materials
- Discussion Questions
- After You Watch/Read/Engage
- Looking Ahead
Learning Objectives:
- Define the concept of health context
- Describe the key elements of health context
- Explain how an assessment of a partner nation's health context can enable or influence DoD GHE activities
Lecture:
Now scroll through these brief slides for information on Interpretation in support of GHE missions.
Interpreters should be positioned next to and slightly behind the speaker(s). Proper interpreter positioning allows the parties to the conversation to look directly at one another, pick up visual and non-verbal cues during the conversation, makes it more likely that the parties will develop a relationship and communicate more freely, and (in direct care scenarios) may help a patient feel better supported during a clinical visit.
The following video shows the importance of understanding the competencies and capabilities of translators in a medical environment:
Required Readings:
- Koehlmoos, T. et al. (2017). The Imperative for a Health Systems Approach to Global Health Engagement. Joint Force Quarterly.
- Koch. E. (2012). Disease as Security Threat: Critical Reflections on the Global TB Emergency. In Biosecurity Interventions.
- The Health Context Framework: A User's Guide. Center for Global Health Engagement
- Sharpening our Cultural Tools for Improved Global Health Engagement. Leclerc-Madlala and Alobaidi, JFQ 82, 3rd Quarter 2016.
Supplemental Materials:
- Shinwari, S.A. et al. (2019). The Importance of Understanding the Medical Education System in Partner Nations. Military Medicine. 64-66.
- [This reading may be skimmed.] Paul, C. et al. (2015). What Works Best When Building Partner Capacity in Challenging Contexts? RAND Corporation.
- Sample Health Needs Assessment Checklist (Used for USU School of Medicine Military Contingency Medicine Course).
- CLAS Standards Information Sheet
- Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center Homepage.
- Teaching Cultural Competency in Global Health. (2016). Unite for Sight Global Health University Webinar.
Discussion Questions:
Please be prepared to discuss the following questions in addition to the required readings. They may be used in the online Sakai forums or the live VTC.
- In reviewing the Health Context Framework, what elements of a partner nation's health context might be missing from the framework?
- Choose one element of the Health Context Analysis for a country of your choice. How might that element of the country's health context enable, influence, or challenge the planning and execution of GHE activities in partnership with that country?
- Identify some key health context considerations that would be important to understand/analyze prior to GHE missions. Provide examples.
- Define “cultural competence” in your own terms. What does it mean to be culturally competent? How does one become culturally competent?
- It can be helpful to reflect on your own cultural identity and personal values and how they affect your attitudes and behaviors. Think about cultures, values and messages that have shaped your identity. List values that are important to you which may or may not be associated with cultures or groups you were born into or currently identify with (i.e. ethnic, socioeconomic, religious).
- How could you imagine your own cultural and personal values affecting the way you interact with others? In what ways do these values impact your communication style as a health professional?
- How do health culture and health communication overlap?
After You Watch/Read/Engage:
- Visit the Sakai discussion forums.
- Join the live VTC on Thursday.
- Complete the Quiz before Wednesday at 2355 EST.
Looking Ahead:
- Next week's module is on Veterinary Global Health Engagement.
- The comprehensive final paper assignment (2000 words) is due May 13 at 2355 hours.