Every now and then, conversations between doctors and patients boomerang between questions and medicalese. Not many of us nod, and even more of them struggle to make sense of doctors' words.
There is a cultural difference in play, too. Not for the first time, I encountered Chinese patients speaking in Chiuchow dialect or accent. "It seems like you're coming from Chiuchow," I enthused. It wouldn't take long for my patient to figure out I'm also from the same heritage.
But why the digression during clinic consultation? What I hope to do is improving trust by concordance. I have learned recently how doctors can make patients feel at ease when we share aspects of culture and identity, including race. Emma Goldberg, the author of Life on the Lines, taught me the emotional bonds from sharing identity between doctors and patients.
In a nutshell, like attracts like.
On the other hand, Black men visiting non-Black doctors turned down flu shot offers more than those visiting Black doctors, even when offered money incentives. Similarly, when Spanish-speaking patients see doctors who speak their language, they're more likely to adhere to their prescribed medications.
Doctors are, obviously enough, not just the sum of our technical skills. Our gender, our cultural backgrounds, our ages, our race, our personal history matter too.
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