In this MD Newsline exclusive interview with psychiatrist Dr. Sasha Hamdani, we discuss how to provide culturally sensitive care and overcome language barriers.
MD Newsline:
How have you been able to implement culturally sensitive care in your practice?
Dr. Sasha Hamdani:
“I think my cultural background and experiences growing up as a minority have helped me practice culturally sensitive care. My parents are immigrants, I’m Pakistani American, and I grew up in a predominantly affluent white community—which we were not. And so, I am used to looking for racial, socioeconomic, and cultural differences.
But, for providers who haven’t had those experiences, I recommend that they work to be conscious of those differences. Ask to learn more about the patient’s culture and how you can sensitively and appropriately approach their mental health issues. And accept that every patient’s treatment trajectory will be a bit different and may be influenced by cultural differences.”
MD Newsline:
How do you deal with language barriers so that they don’t impede your ability to deliver quality care?
Dr. Sasha Hamdani:
“It’s imperative that I can communicate fluently with my patients because there’s so much nuance in psychiatry. If my patient doesn’t speak English fluently, I use a medical interpreter so that my patient can feel comfortable using their own verbiage and language skills. Then, we can be better positioned to understand each other, and the patient can better express the complicated emotional factors that are characteristic of a psychiatric patient visit.”
Responses have been condensed and lightly edited.
