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In general, Western biomedical culture focuses on the adult individual as the patient. As such, information is gathered from the patient and the patient alone (this is different from practising Western paediatrics, where the mother and child are often considered to be the ‘patient’). In many cultures, however, the family, or even the entire community, plays a major part in managing illness. In cases such as this, it is often best to include the entire family in decision‐making,⁴⁹ including spouses and/or adult children.

Table 8.6 Common areas of cultural conflict.

Mistrust garnered during prior contactsCultural differences in defining who the patient isVerbal and non‐verbal communicationPrior misconceptions about cultural normsAgeism by both patient and provider