American College of Physicians

As the United States population becomes increasingly diverse, the need for guidelines to assure competent healthcare among minorities becomes ever more urgent. Cross-Cultural Medicine provides important background information on various racial, ethnic, and cultural groups, their general health problems and risks, and spiritual and religious issues. Individual chapters are devoted to the special concerns of several groups: blacks and African Americans, Latinos, American Indians and Native Alaskans, Asian Americans, and Arab Americans and American Muslims. These chapters lay the foundation for exploring an individual's health beliefs and concerns in the context of his or her sociocultural experiences. Advice on advocating for systems and procedures that improve access to care for minorities brings the volume to a practical close. Timely and thorough, clearly and sensitively written, Cross-Cultural Medicine is required reading for all practicing physicians and healthcare professionals.