Cultural competency in health care

Abstract

In February 2011, I did an ophthalmology elective at a Toronto hospital. In the hospital's eye clinic, there was a sixtyyear- old Chinese woman who had just immigrated to Canada from mainland China. She could not speak any English. At that time, she was not accompanied by anyone who could interpret what the medical team said to her. Hence, it was difficult for the physician and other medical staff to communicate with her. I was then asked to help with translations. She seemed frustrated when I first saw her. She told me that she was very upset since she could not express herself to others. After I told her that I could help her, since I speak both Mandarin and Cantonese, she seemed relaxed and even smiled. During her visit at the clinic, I was able to help the physician and the patient to overcome the language and cultural barriers between them. Although I was not able to provide her with the treatment for her eye problem, I appreciated the opportunity to assist her in communicating with the health care team. This experience helped me to understand the importance of culture competency in health care.