Essay On Kleinman's Explanatory Model

Superior Essays
There can be many reasons of why a person will classify the reason for their medical condition or illness. Some think it may be contributed to genetics, while others look to find blame on a particular thing that would have caused the chronic condition. I was introduced to a Hispanic male named Thomas, a grandfather, in his early 80’s, with a medical condition called Diabetes. He was diagnosed between the age of 40 to 45, as it was hard for him to recall the exact age. As Thomas became the head of a growing household, he began to learn more of his condition, and began to pose questions of the impact that it could have on his family. Kleinan’s explanatory model, can be utilized for a variety of situations in which the healthcare professional needs to learn more about the patient and their culture. In using Kleinman’s model to question Thomas’s medical condition, I began to learn that by listening to someone’s else’s perspective on their medical condition, it can lead to a greater understanding of how culture plays …show more content…
Kleinman’s explanatory model explains that the model is used to facilitate cross-cultural communication, which will allow a better understanding of the patient (Hark & DeLisser, 2009). Thomas has had this medical condition for half his life, and has learned what he needs to do medically to help keep things at bay. In part of keeping himself in good health, his spirituality has given him a resource to guide him and to find the things he needs within reason; to pray for a speedy recovery, to maintain his health, and to allow him to continue to be active in his community. In discussing with Thomas his thoughts, I have learned a better understanding of what it is to be sensitive to other cultures, and to allow an open conversation to find out what information given by the person, will allow the opportunity for the healthcare provider to give better

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