SOME PROBLEMS IN HEALTH COMMUNICATION IN A MULTICULTURAL CLINICAL SETTING - A SOUTH-AFRICAN EXPERIENCE

Because of their different perceptions and frames of reference regardi ng health care, it is unlikely that doctor and patient communicate wit h total accuracy. This situation is exacerbated if they do not share a sociocultural orientation, even though both doctor and patient apply specific strategies in attempts to overcome the barriers that prevent effective communication. This article deals with some problems that ar ise in a multicultural clinical setting involving a group of Xhosa-spe aking patients and Western medical practitioners in South Africa, the source of the problems, and their implications for the communication p rocess.