Medical Cultural Competence. A Phenomenological Analysis

Medical clinical practice worldwide requires human interaction between the doctor and the patient, which can prove to be difficult because of many types of communication barriers, including cultural ones. In this context, it is becoming increasingly clear that doctors should be aware of their patient’s cultural traits, that might influence their attitudes towards healthcare and the decision making process. This can prove to be difficult, especially in multicultural societies. This paper aims to highlight Romanian medical students’ opinion on the importance of being aware of the cultural context the patient comes from in order to offer culturally competent healthcare. We conducted a focus group moderated by a group assistant, which included 10 fifth year medical students. Data was interpreted using a phenomenological interpretative approach. Romanian medical students are aware of some particular traits of social minorities in Romania regarding healthcare. They acknowledge the importance of cultural competence in medicine and can imagine several ways to protect human dignity at the end of life.