Skip to content
  • About
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Book
  • Careers
  • Podcast
  • Recommended
  • Speaking
  • All
  • Physician
  • Practice
  • Policy
  • Finance
  • Conditions
  • .edu
  • Patient
  • Meds
  • Tech
  • Social
  • Video
    • All
    • Physician
    • Practice
    • Policy
    • Finance
    • Conditions
    • .edu
    • Patient
    • Meds
    • Tech
    • Social
    • Video
    • About
    • Contact
    • Contribute
    • Book
    • Careers
    • Podcast
    • Recommended
    • Speaking

How doctors can ensure their Latinx patients receive the best medical care

Andrea Mendiola-Iparraguirre, MD
Physician
March 31, 2022
2 Shares
Share
Tweet
Share

“Any questions?” I asked one of my patients, Dona Maria, for the third time.

After her prolonged silence, I asked again, almost in despair, “anything else? Anything that you don’t like about what I have said? Or anything you don’t like about the medications I am recommending?” Dona Maria sees my disappointment and tries to smile at me. Then she shares some stories about her great-grandson, who just turned three.

It is essential to know what my patients think about the medications I am prescribing since their agreement is linked with better outcomes and medication adherence. Despite this, sometimes I feel like all my questions are a form of torture rather than helping my patients. My continuous attempts to know Dona Maria’s opinion about my recommendations, for instance, just resulted in her telling me stories instead about her cooking, family reunions, or her youngest great-grandson.

As a doctor, such experiences are frustrating. But as a patient, I recognize that I also tend to not engage my doctor about the medical information they give me. Instead, I talk about the weather or the traffic. I let them know that I never forget to take the supplement they have recommended, even though I had my doubts about needing it. Still, as soon as I leave the doctor’s office, I regret not asking all the questions I have or disagreeing with how often I need to return for follow-ups or expressing that I do not like the treatment plan they presented to me. “Why didn’t I say anything?” I think to myself over and over.

Research shows that Latino patients tend to agree more with their doctors and question less about the medications or treatment plans offered to them than their non-Latino counterparts do. Over the years, the lack of involvement of Latinos in their health care decisions has been seen by the medical community as “an expected cultural behavior.” Unfortunately, some scholars have even proposed that autonomy – the right of a competent adult to make informed decisions about their own medical care – is not always beneficial to Latino patients. Even more, it has been suggested that a paternalistic approach – when the doctor makes decisions for the patient – may produce better outcomes for Latinos seeking help. These ideas are counterintuitive to the perspective of advocating and empowering our patients to help them build a treatment plan around their decisions.

Is our Latino culture and heritage interfering with medical care?

On the other hand, the Latino culture has some characteristics that might play a role in the patient-doctor relationship. Latino Cultural Values are the core principles and ideals of the Latino community; families practice and teach their children how to behave in society based on these beliefs.

The Latino cultural value of familism speaks of prioritizing one’s family instead of the individual. Other values such as respect, kindness, and modesty reflect on the relationship with peers, authority, and the elders. In the Latino culture, it is expected to be obedient and deferent to authority. In the doctor’s office setting, many Latinos might feel obliged to agree with their doctor’s recommendations since they are also considered an authority. It is essential to point out that these values are not exclusive to Latinos, nor do they apply to all Latinos; however, they are especially common among Latinos.

Therefore, it is crucial that doctors are aware of these dynamics and give their Latino patients the opportunity and trust to express their opinions, no matter what they are. Focusing on their patient’s life, goals, dreams, fears, and learning more about their culture, can help build a safe environment. Latino patients also need to advocate for their rights as patients and their role in health care for their families and communities.

Andrea Mendiola-Iparraguirre is a psychiatrist.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com

Prev

Inside the race to conquer the COVID-19 pandemic [PODCAST]

March 30, 2022 Kevin 0
…
Next

What does Will Smith’s facial expression at the Oscars tell us about our patients?

March 31, 2022 Kevin 1
…

Tagged as: Psychiatry

Post navigation

< Previous Post
Inside the race to conquer the COVID-19 pandemic [PODCAST]
Next Post >
What does Will Smith’s facial expression at the Oscars tell us about our patients?

Related Posts

  • Do uninsured patients receive more unnecessary care?

    Peter Ubel, MD
  • Doctors and patients should be wary of health care mega-mergers

    Linda Girgis, MD
  • Direct primary care: Great for some doctors, but challenging for patients

    Ken Terry
  • Patients with severe autism: medical and dental care in the community

    Irene Tanzman
  • Doctors and patients continue to search through the overgrown forest of corporate health care

    Michele Luckenbaugh
  • Lawmakers don’t care for our patients. Doctors do.

    Joanna Bisgrove, MD

More in Physician

  • The essence of health narratives, including poetry

    Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA
  • Discover the power of patience

    Diane W. Shannon, MD, MPH
  • Doctors rediscover joy in practicing medicine, on their own terms

    Kim Downey, PT
  • Physician return-to-work policies

    Deepak Gupta, MD
  • How my patients’ Zoom backgrounds made me a better doctor

    Joseph Barrera, MD
  • Understanding reproductive rights: complex considerations

    Anonymous
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Challenging the diagnosis: dehydration or bias?

      Sydney Lou Bonnick, MD | Physician
    • A teenager’s perspective: the pressing need for mental health days in schools

      Ruhi Saldanha | Conditions
    • Understanding reproductive rights: complex considerations

      Anonymous | Physician
    • COVID-19 unleashed an ongoing crisis of delirium in hospitals

      Christina Reppas-Rindlisbacher, MD, Nathan Stall, MD, and Paula Rochon, MD | Conditions
    • Air quality alert: Reducing our carbon footprint in health care

      Shreya Aggarwal, MD | Conditions
    • America’s young men are facing a mental health crisis. Can we help them before it’s too late?

      Henna Hundal and Karan Patel | Conditions
  • Past 6 Months

    • Medical gaslighting: a growing challenge in today’s medical landscape

      Tami Burdick | Conditions
    • I want to be a doctor who can provide care for women: What states must I rule out for my medical education?

      Nandini Erodula | Education
    • Balancing opioid medication in chronic pain

      L. Joseph Parker, MD | Conditions
    • Unveiling excessive medical billing and greed

      Amol Saxena, DPM, MPH | Policy
    • The erosion of patient care

      Laura de la Torre, MD | Physician
    • I’m a doctor, and I almost died during childbirth

      Bayo Curry-Winchell, MD | Physician
  • Recent Posts

    • Pioneering space race research: G-forces and human physiology

      Earl Howard Wood, MD, PhD | Conditions
    • How to pick the right mutual funds to reduce your taxes

      Amarish Dave, DO | Finance
    • What is the physician’s role in the food is medicine movement?

      Deb Kennedy, PhD | Conditions
    • America’s young men are facing a mental health crisis. Can we help them before it’s too late?

      Henna Hundal and Karan Patel | Conditions
    • When physicians are disrespected [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Addressing dual diagnosis needs in addiction treatment

      Susan Hertz Berrick, EdD | Conditions

Subscribe to KevinMD and never miss a story!

Get free updates delivered free to your inbox.


Find jobs at
Careers by KevinMD.com

Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now.

Learn more

View 1 Comments >

Founded in 2004 by Kevin Pho, MD, KevinMD.com is the web’s leading platform where physicians, advanced practitioners, nurses, medical students, and patients share their insight and tell their stories.

Social

  • Like on Facebook
  • Follow on Twitter
  • Connect on Linkedin
  • Subscribe on Youtube
  • Instagram

CME Spotlights

From MedPage Today

Latest News

  • Everything (Maybe) You Wanted to Know About Sarilumab for PMR
  • Parkinsonism Case Tied to Welding, Improved With Chelation
  • Here's How the Novavax COVID Shot Held Up Against Omicron
  • Use of Recent Diagnostic CT Scans for Palliative RT Planning Reduced Treatment Time
  • Pediatric EDs Able to Sway Some Families, Clinicians on Penicillin Challenge

Meeting Coverage

  • Use of Recent Diagnostic CT Scans for Palliative RT Planning Reduced Treatment Time
  • Hypofractionated RT for Breast Cancer Post-Mastectomy as Effective as Standard RT
  • SBRT Noninferior to Conventional RT for Intermediate-Risk Prostate Cancer
  • Mixed Bag for Early Metformin in Gestational Diabetes
  • Adding Tirzepatide to Basal Insulin Cuts HbA1c in Poorly Controlled T2D
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Challenging the diagnosis: dehydration or bias?

      Sydney Lou Bonnick, MD | Physician
    • A teenager’s perspective: the pressing need for mental health days in schools

      Ruhi Saldanha | Conditions
    • Understanding reproductive rights: complex considerations

      Anonymous | Physician
    • COVID-19 unleashed an ongoing crisis of delirium in hospitals

      Christina Reppas-Rindlisbacher, MD, Nathan Stall, MD, and Paula Rochon, MD | Conditions
    • Air quality alert: Reducing our carbon footprint in health care

      Shreya Aggarwal, MD | Conditions
    • America’s young men are facing a mental health crisis. Can we help them before it’s too late?

      Henna Hundal and Karan Patel | Conditions
  • Past 6 Months

    • Medical gaslighting: a growing challenge in today’s medical landscape

      Tami Burdick | Conditions
    • I want to be a doctor who can provide care for women: What states must I rule out for my medical education?

      Nandini Erodula | Education
    • Balancing opioid medication in chronic pain

      L. Joseph Parker, MD | Conditions
    • Unveiling excessive medical billing and greed

      Amol Saxena, DPM, MPH | Policy
    • The erosion of patient care

      Laura de la Torre, MD | Physician
    • I’m a doctor, and I almost died during childbirth

      Bayo Curry-Winchell, MD | Physician
  • Recent Posts

    • Pioneering space race research: G-forces and human physiology

      Earl Howard Wood, MD, PhD | Conditions
    • How to pick the right mutual funds to reduce your taxes

      Amarish Dave, DO | Finance
    • What is the physician’s role in the food is medicine movement?

      Deb Kennedy, PhD | Conditions
    • America’s young men are facing a mental health crisis. Can we help them before it’s too late?

      Henna Hundal and Karan Patel | Conditions
    • When physicians are disrespected [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Addressing dual diagnosis needs in addiction treatment

      Susan Hertz Berrick, EdD | Conditions

MedPage Today Professional

An Everyday Health Property Medpage Today
  • Terms of Use | Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
All Content © KevinMD, LLC
Site by Outthink Group

How doctors can ensure their Latinx patients receive the best medical care
1 comments

Comments are moderated before they are published. Please read the comment policy.

Loading Comments...