Date of Award

2009

Document Type

Research Paper

First Advisor

Rafael Chabran

Second Advisor

Devin Iimoto

Abstract

The demographic majority of the people who reside in Los Angeles are hispanic. This population often utilizes alternative medicine, particularly herbal remedies, to ameliorate their health problems. As such, what herbal medicinal plants do physicians in Los Angeles County need to have background knowledge about to be considered culturally competent? Does the knowledge of medicinal plants dictate one basis for cultural competency? The purpose of this study is to examine ten Latino alternative/folk medicinal remedies from three separate civilizations to identify key ways in which physicians can increase their cultural competency. The first two civilizations are Pre-Hispanic and involve the Aztec (Nahua) and the Spanish and their commonly used medicinal plants. The third is the identification of the most utilized herbal remedies of the Mestizo culture residing in Los Angeles at present. This paper specifically addresses medicinal plants, their historic origins and uses in history, their chemical makeups, and their biological effects on the body. The ability to understand medicinal plants and their place in health care is one aspect to cultural competency. In addition, to take that understanding and effectively communicate to Latino patients about them will enhance the doctor/patient relationship and better establish a rapport based on the patient’s health and cultural perspectives. To examine my thesis question, my methodologies include peer-reviewed journals, analysis of herbal medicinal chemical makeups, interviews with public health professors at the 2008 Minority Health Conference at the University of Southern California, and interviews with physicians from Presbyterian Intercommunity Hospital, Bright Medical, and Kaiser Permanente in Whittier, CA. The results of this study indicate that effective communication, bilingualism and biculturalism, understanding and incorporating diversity, and knowing these common plants will allow physicians to be more culturally competent to Hispanics who value herbal remedies. However, this study has also found that physicians who are not well versed on medicinal plants do not necessarily lack cultural competency. Thus, medicinal plant knowledge and understanding of this aspect of health care are beneficial to comprehend and undoubtedly lead to augmented trust with Hispanic patients but not pivotal to being defined as a “culturally competent” physician.

Comments

WSP Major: Medical Biology and the Human Perspective

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