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CULTURAL COMPETENCE

Merin Anna Mathew

Durham College

LIFE-1303-01-Rehabilitation Concept Across Lifespan

Professor Cathy Slevin OT Reg. (Ont.)

September 23,2021
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Amputee to get $ 1.3 million in lawsuit over misdiagnosis

Summary

A former sawmill worker who had to have a leg amputated was awarded $1.3 million in damages

from a doctor's misdiagnosis. Dr. Henry Pankratz was found to be negligent in his examination

and diagnosis of Harbhajan Singh Chattu, 55, came with the complaint of severe abdominal pain

while bending over to brush his teeth to Cariboo Memorial Hospital on August 20,1986.

The judge in Michael Chattu's murder trial has ruled that a doctor should have checked for a

femoral pulse to determine if there was blood flow in his leg instead of looking for a spinal disc

protruding and pressing against nerves. It took 16 hours and two air ambulance trips before Chattu

was properly diagnosed as a blood clot, but it was too late to save his right leg and hip joint.

Chattu's right leg was amputated at the hip after his doctor misdiagnosed him as having a

neurological problem. He was instead suffering from a blood clot in the blood vessels, causing his

leg to be beyond saving. "It still won't pay for the suffering I have gone through," Chattu says,

despite the settlement.

Chattu's wife could not make herself understood in English and a family friend talked to the doctor

about Chattu's back problems. The language difficulty ''should have made (a doctor) especially

careful in conducting his physical examination, said Justice Finch. (Wolff)

As the patient's underlying cause went unrecognized, the cultural competency of linguistic

difficulties arose, potentially putting the patient's treatment at danger. As a result, appropriate

communication between the patient, families, and healthcare personnel is critical for diagnosis and

therapy.

• Definition of Cultural Competence: Cultural competency is the integration and

transformation of knowledge about individuals and groups of people into specific

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standards, policies, practices, and attitudes that are applied in suitable cultural situations to

improve service quality and so provide better results. (Cultural Competence In Health And

Human Services, n.d.)

• Importance of Cultural Competence in the role of OTA/PTA: The role of an OTA/PTA

would be that, in order to give the greatest care and treatment plan, the client and the

therapist must develop trust, effective communication, and respect for the client's values

and culture. One of the most important aspects of addressing the healthcare equity gap is

cultural competency. It's a means for patients and therapists to meet and discuss health

issues without cultural barriers obstructing, rather than improving, the discourse. Simply

put, health care services that respect and respond to different patients' health beliefs,

behaviors, cultural and language demands can help them achieve better health results.

(Importance of Cultural Competence in Healthcare, 2012)

• Description of patient’s treatment that reveals a lack of cultural competence: When

working with a patient, effective communication is crucial. Patients are more likely to have

negative health consequences, receive low quality care, or be dissatisfied with their care if

clinicians, organizations, and systems do not work together to offer culturally competent

care. Language and communication barriers cause frustration in both the physician and the

patient, which leads to incorrect diagnosis and treatment, which results in a mess, as in the

case of Harbhajan Singh Chattu.

• Important ways for practicing in a culturally competent manner:

1. Self-awareness is the first step toward cultural competency. We must first understand

and appreciate our own culture before we can appreciate the cultures of others. (htt1)

2. Demonstrate openness by showing acceptance of differences.

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3. Be adaptable by displaying a willingness to embrace ambiguity.

4. Suspension of judgement and the ability to learn are two ways to show humility.

5. Appreciate cultural differences and be attentive to others.

6. Show a sense of adventure by being curious and looking for chances in various settings.

(What is Cultural Competence and How to Develop It?, 2020)

• My input to Cultural Competence as an OTA/PTA

If I were to deliver therapy to a patient from a different culture, I would strive to learn about

their culture and the challenges they face. For example, if there is a language barrier, I

would seek the assistance of interpreters or use various translator software.

I would treat the patient and their family with respect and create trust so that they would

feel more at ease with my support.

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References

(n.d.). Retrieved from https://npin.cdc.gov/pages/cultural-competence#3

(n.d.). Retrieved from https://practicenotes.org/vol4_no1/culturally_competent_practice.htm

Cultural Competence In Health And Human Services. (n.d.). Retrieved from

https://npin.cdc.gov/pages/cultural-competence#3

Importance of Cultural Competence in Healthcare. (2012, August 15). Retrieved from

ttps://mypreferred.com/cultural-

competence/#:~:text=Cultural%20competency%20is%20one%20of%20the%20main%20

ingredients,patients%20can%20help%20bring%20about%20positive%20health%20outco

mes.

What is Cultural Competence and How to Develop It? (2020, April 14). Retrieved from

https://extension.psu.edu/what-is-cultural-competence-and-how-to-develop-

it#:~:text=1%20Practice%20openness%20by%20demonstrating%20acceptance%20of%2

0difference.,demonstrating%20a%20successful%20interaction%20with%20the%20identi

fied%20culture.

What is Cultural Competence and How to Develop It? (2020, April 14). Retrieved from

https://extension.psu.edu/what-is-cultural-competence-and-how-to-develop-

it#:~:text=1%20Practice%20openness%20by%20demonstrating%20acceptance%20of%2

0difference.,demonstrating%20a%20successful%20interaction%20with%20the%20identi

fied%20culture.

Wolff, P. N. (27 march 1990). Amputee to get $1.3 million in lawsuit over misdiagnosis.