This project has been funded with support from the European Commission.
This web site reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.
Training of Lecturers
Training for Paediatricians and Paediatric Students
Multilanguage dictionary of medical terms
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Contractual Partners
From this section it is possible to access to a description of each contractual partner of the Softis-Ped project.
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Lecturers
From this section it is possible to access to the information about the paediatric lecturers involved in the Softis-Ped Project in the 5 European countries involved.
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Residents Working with Children Information
From this section it is possible to access to the information about the paediatricians involved in the Softis-Ped Project in the 5 European countries involved.
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Paediatric students
From this section it is possible to access to the information about the paediatric students involved in the Softis-Ped Project in the 5 European countries involved.
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Associated Partners
As a result of the exploitation activity a number of associated partners officially joined the project in order to contribute to the improvement of the project impact on their target groups and to ensure the project sustainability by continuing using the project deliverables in the next years.
Events
The Softis-Ped project has been promoted trough conferences and articles.
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Conferences
The Softis-Ped project was presented in a number of events in order to report about the activities carried out and the results achieved
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Training Activity
The training activity 'Soft Skills in Pediatrics' was held at the University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Tirgu Mures (RO)
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Press Review
The Softis-Ped project partnership made contacts with web sites focusing on the fields of paediatrics and education
This section of the Softis-Ped portal provides administrative information for the project contractual partners and for the European Commission and it is password protected.
Training for Paediatricians and Paediatric Students
Homepage > Training > Training for Paediatricians and Paediatric Students
This training package is addressed to students and medical practitioners in paediatrics on how to autonomously learn, develop and consolidate their soft skills for improving the quality of paediatric services.
Communicating in a Multicultural Environment
2.2 Cultural Sensitivity
Cultural sensitivity is being aware that cultural differences and similarities between people exist without assigning them value – positive or negative, better or worse, right or wrong. It is important to recognize that this is a very broad concept, as described below.
Being culturally sensitive means that you are aware that people are not all the same and that you recognize that your culture is no better than the other cultures. This can be a very hard thing to do. Intrinsically, we all have a tendency to judge other cultures and to raise our own culture above others. This tendency needs to be recognized when it surfaces and dealt with accordingly. In general, it can be said that the more different the patient’s culture is from our own, the more challenging the interaction will be. Communication styles are greatly influenced by cultural background and will thus vary greatly when two cultures come together in an effort to solve a problem (such as in the case of helping a sick child).
Often, the physician may find him- or herself in a situation where he or she tries his/her best to be sensitive to the cultural expressions and background of the current patient. He or she may find, however, that the patient is not quite as willing to be sensitive to the cultural background and practices of the tending physician. Especially cultures that stress social and family values over individuality can present a challenge in this regard. Parents may insist on certain ways of finding the best solution to a medical problem that run counter to the normal practice of the tending physician. Family members may get involved; a multitude of opinions may be expressed. This in itself calls for cultural sensitivity on the part of the physician.
To provide culturally sensitive patient-centered care, physicians should treat each patient as an individual, recognizing and respecting his or her beliefs, values and care seeking behaviors.
Being culturally sensitive means that you are aware that people are not all the same and that you recognize that your culture is no better than the other cultures. This can be a very hard thing to do. Intrinsically, we all have a tendency to judge other cultures and to raise our own culture above others. This tendency needs to be recognized when it surfaces and dealt with accordingly. In general, it can be said that the more different the patient’s culture is from our own, the more challenging the interaction will be. Communication styles are greatly influenced by cultural background and will thus vary greatly when two cultures come together in an effort to solve a problem (such as in the case of helping a sick child).
Often, the physician may find him- or herself in a situation where he or she tries his/her best to be sensitive to the cultural expressions and background of the current patient. He or she may find, however, that the patient is not quite as willing to be sensitive to the cultural background and practices of the tending physician. Especially cultures that stress social and family values over individuality can present a challenge in this regard. Parents may insist on certain ways of finding the best solution to a medical problem that run counter to the normal practice of the tending physician. Family members may get involved; a multitude of opinions may be expressed. This in itself calls for cultural sensitivity on the part of the physician.
To provide culturally sensitive patient-centered care, physicians should treat each patient as an individual, recognizing and respecting his or her beliefs, values and care seeking behaviors.
Practical Applications
- Role Play – Cultural Sensitivity Role Play that helps to cope with language barriers.
- Practical Activity – Cultural SensitivityGroup discussion about important issues of cultural sensitivity
Online Resources
- What is Cultural Sensitivity?This website gives a definition about cultural sensitivity and explains Milton Bennets concept of “intercultural sensitivity stages”.
- Cultural Sensitivity Skills in the WorkplaceA website about cultural sensitivity and its use in the workplace.
