Heritage Assessment
Assessing Family Health Patterns: Evaluating the Usefulness of a Heritage Assessment Tool
Sarah Potter
Grand Canyon University: NRS-429V-0191
October 5, 2014
Assessing Family Health Patterns: Evaluating the Usefulness of a Heritage Assessment Tool In the United States today cultural diversity is growing more prevalent every day. The report from the Institute of Medicine (IOM: Unequal treatment, 2002) presented information that racial and ethnic minorities of all ages receive lower quality health care compared to their non-minority counterparts. Every effort should be made to stop the disparities surrounding cultural differences while attempting to understand the cultural health behaviors, increase cultural competence cultural, and increase sensitivity to cultural difference associated with the decision making process and health care preferences. Since cultural competence is a major foundation for nursing care, it is essential for health care providers to assess a patient’s identification with a particular race or ethnicity using a Heritage Assessment Tool. The tool used by this author included 29 questions used to gage a patient and families ethnic, cultural and religious heritage to determine how much the person identifies with a particular culture and traditions, which acts as a predictor in understanding their health choices and behaviors. The greater number of positive responses, the greater the person’s identification with a traditional heritage. This paper will discuss the various ways to apply findings based on a heritage assessment tool interview of an American, Hispanic and Hmong family and how the findings are both different and similar in the areas of health maintenance, health protection and health restoration.
Health Maintenance
According to the Edelman, Kudzma and Mandle (2010) health maintenance is a systematic program, regimen or procedure planned to prevent illness, maintain maximum function and promotes health.
Sarah Potter
Grand Canyon University: NRS-429V-0191
October 5, 2014
Assessing Family Health Patterns: Evaluating the Usefulness of a Heritage Assessment Tool In the United States today cultural diversity is growing more prevalent every day. The report from the Institute of Medicine (IOM: Unequal treatment, 2002) presented information that racial and ethnic minorities of all ages receive lower quality health care compared to their non-minority counterparts. Every effort should be made to stop the disparities surrounding cultural differences while attempting to understand the cultural health behaviors, increase cultural competence cultural, and increase sensitivity to cultural difference associated with the decision making process and health care preferences. Since cultural competence is a major foundation for nursing care, it is essential for health care providers to assess a patient’s identification with a particular race or ethnicity using a Heritage Assessment Tool. The tool used by this author included 29 questions used to gage a patient and families ethnic, cultural and religious heritage to determine how much the person identifies with a particular culture and traditions, which acts as a predictor in understanding their health choices and behaviors. The greater number of positive responses, the greater the person’s identification with a traditional heritage. This paper will discuss the various ways to apply findings based on a heritage assessment tool interview of an American, Hispanic and Hmong family and how the findings are both different and similar in the areas of health maintenance, health protection and health restoration.
Health Maintenance
According to the Edelman, Kudzma and Mandle (2010) health maintenance is a systematic program, regimen or procedure planned to prevent illness, maintain maximum function and promotes health.
References: Centers for Disease Control. (n.d.). Promoting cultural sensitivity: Hmong Guide. Retrived fromhttp://www.cdc.gov/tb/publications/guidestoolkits/ethnographicguides/hmong/chapters/chapter2.pdf Edelman, Kudzma, Mandle, C. (2010). Health promotion throughout the life span [VitalSouce bookshelf version].Retrieved from http://pageburstls.elsevier.com/books/9780323056625/id/B9780323056625000012_s0415 Institute of Medicine. (2002). Unequal treatment: Confronting racial and ethnic disparities in healthcare. Retrieved from https://www.iom.edu/~/media/Files/Report%20Files/2003/Unequal-Treatment-Confronting-Racial-and-Ethnic-Disparities-in-Health-Care/DisparitiesAdmin8pg.pdf Kemp, C. (2005). Mexican & mexican-Americans: Health beliefs & practices. Retrieved from https://bearspace.baylor.edu/Charles_Kemp/www/hispanic_health.htm Langford, D. (2013). Family health protection. Retrived from http://www.us.elsevierhealth.com/media/us/samplechapters/9780721601151/Chapter_12_Family_Health_Protection.pdf Neff, N. (n.d.). Folk medicine in Hispanics in the southwestern united states. Retrived from http://rice.edu/projects/HispanicHealth/Courses?mod7/mod7.html