One of three supplementary videos for the webinar Staying Active: Sustaining Confidence Part II, this video explores the role that culture plays in the lives and working relationships of clients and care providers. In it, consumers discuss how their cultural identities have impacted their interactions with care providers during their course of treatment. Cultural identities related to ethnicity, age, gender, and race all played negative roles in their treatment at some point in their medical history, and they share these stories. Care providers who were involved in the labels their clients chose for themselves strengthened relationships with their clients. It is important for patients to follow directions from their providers intended to improve their wellness, but providers can better help clients when they respect the identities and experiences of their clients.
Culture is not unimportant or far removed from treatment or recovery, and this video seeks to make care providers and clients aware of the importance of cultural activation in medical treatment. Consumer cultural activation refers to the involvement of a patient’s cultural lens in their care decisions. The patient is involved in their care and shares information that may be important in their treatment options. Through open communication with their service providers, patients can strengthen their relationships with their providers and engage in treatment options that are culture conscious.
This resource was first shared in 2016.
(Supplemental Video, YouTube)