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Religion & Medical Care: Home

Appropriate and updated guidelines are listed to help health professionals treat patients with diverse cultural backgrounds and spiritual beliefs that might affect standard medical care.

Using this Guide

As more and more patients with different cultural and religious backgrounds seek out American doctors as their healthcare providers, it is becoming more vital than ever to have an understanding of your patients religious practices to give them the best care available to them. By learning, as well as seeking deeper information about your patients cultures, you can better assist them and know how to comfort them in times of stress and need. The following resources are available to help you get fast facts and accurate information on numerous faiths, so that you can know what medical practices may be unaccepted or offensive to many patients with different beliefs and cultures.

Information covered includes customs and practices in prayer, dietary needs, end-of-life practices, medical restrictions, and more.

I hope this guide gives you quick and helpful resources that will better serve you and your patients. 

Search Headings for Providers

Useful SUBJECT HEADINGS for this topic:

LC Subject Headings 

Country - religion

Country - social life and customs

Cross cultural studies

Cultural characteristics

Diversity

Ethnic Groups Health - cross cultural studies

Health behavior - cross cultural studies

Intercultural communication

Medical anthropology - country

Medical ethics - cross cultural studies

Multiculturalism

Nursing - cross cultural studies

Transcultural medical care

MeSH Subject Headings

Cultural diversity

Ethnic groups

Transcultural nursing

NLM CALL NUMBERS

W50 - Medical ethics

W84 - Health Services. Quality of care

W85 - Patients. Attitude and compliance (Rights)

WA30 - Socioeconomic and environmental factors in public health (General)

WA300 -  Health problems of special population groups

WA395 - Health in developing countries (General)

WB310 - Hospice care. Palliative care. Terminal care

WB710 - Diseases of geographic areas

WB720 - Diseases of ethnic groups (General of not elsewhere classified)

WY107 - Transcultural nursing