Intercultural Communication and Cultural Humility

Learning Objectives

1. Become familiar with the issues and challenges in providing care especially when the clinician
and the patient is from different cultures and speaks different languages.

2. Understand how discrimination and mistrust affect patients’ interaction with physicians and the
health care system.

3. See the value in using the explanatory models to help understand the patients’ perspectives of
their “illness” as compared to the clinicians’ understanding of the “disease.”

4. Develop a greater sense of curiosity, empathy, and respect for patients who are culturally
different. Become motivated to improve communication skills, develop cultural humility, and
better understand cultural competence.