Type 2 diabetes, a now common condition in many American Indian communities, entails a host of uncertain outcomes even as it adds daily challenges to maintaining balance and quality of life. The relational uncertainty between health care providers and individuals with diabetes can create additional barriers to adoption of preventive self-care actions. Practitioners of biosciencific, or Western, medicine are often entrenched in a specialized, technologically advanced world that often fragments emotional, mental, spiritual, and physical dimensions of health. Indigenous healers, in contrast, tend to approach healing in a holistic manner, enlisting the patient’s involvement in healing, and appreciating the power of words and of communicating hope and certainty.
Health communication literature suggests people respond best to positive communication appeals and health care practitioners who share some similarities with them, such as ethnicity. When health care workers and program planners differ from participants in history and culture, they can glean lessons in cross-cultural sharing from both indigenous and conventional worlds of healing to identify and share meaningful ways to assist people in their health journeys. Strategies can be suggested to help reduce some of the uncertainty related to diabetes, while promoting relational certainty. Disclosing information in culturally-relevant ways, supported by less direct communication methods such as telling stories, is encouraged. A “healing basket” and other ideas can serve to help people connect healing and hope to their memories of healthy practices and community action.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this session, the participant (learner) will be able to: 1. Compare principles of health care by indigenous healers and conventional practitioners, identifying shared and contrasting values. 2. Discuss the role of uncertainty in helping relationships and in healing. 3. Describe approaches providers may consider that honor words, communicate hope and caring, and help to develop trusting relationships.
Keywords: Communication, Healing
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Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: N/A