COVER STORY / CHIROPRACTIC FOR TODAY'S CANADA
I
n many chiropractic clinics,
the multicultural character of
Canadian society means that their
patient rosters are just as diverse
as the communities they serve.
This presents an exciting challenge to
practitioners: providing exceptional care
that effectively crosses the boundaries of
cultural, ethnic, religious, socioeconomic,
age and gender identities. Culturally
sensitive care provides a more welcoming
environment for patients, and research in
chronic pain suggests that psychosocial
dynamics are a key factor in recovery
and rehabilitation. Truly holistic care
includes the patient’s body, mind, family
background and cultural context.
A great deal of research across multiple
fields has already been conducted to
determine how best to prepare practitioner
groups to care for diverse patient rosters. A
brief survey of that research is provided in
this article alongside specific practices and
procedures to embrace diversity in practice.
Embracing Diversity is Important for
Patient-Centred Care
P
atient-centred care is a key trend
across the health sector. The
inherent challenges to health
care providers working in multicultural
communities highlight the importance of
a patient-centred approach. Surfeit data
demonstrates that different ethnic, racial,
gender and socioeconomic groups, for
instance, experience health in dramatically
different ways. Dr. Claire Johnson, Editor
of the Journal of Chiropractic Humanities,
and an array of her colleagues wrote in
a 2012 editorial that “white men have
nearly twice the risk of testicular cancer
than black men; yet black men have a
significantly higher risk of prostate cancer
than other racial groups. Women of Asian
or European descent have a higher risk of
osteoporosis, and Native Americans have
nearly twice the disability rate due to low
back pain than any other group.”
Understanding the health trends and
risks associated with the various identities
of the patients you serve is an important
first step in providing exceptional care
to a diverse roster. There are additional
steps, however. It \