Understanding Psychology (10th Ed)

494 Chapter 
14 
Health Psychology: Stress, Coping, and Well-Being
Cultural values and expectations also contribute to communication barriers 
between patients and their physicians. Providing medical advice to a patient whose 
native language is not English may be problematic. Furthermore, medical practices 
differ between cultures, and medical practitioners need to be familiar with a patient’s 
culture in order to produce compliance with medical recommendations (Whaley, 
2000; Ho et al., 2004; Culhane-Pera, Borkan, & Patten, 2007). 
What can patients do to improve communication with health-care providers? 
Here are some tips provided by physician Holly Atkinson (Atkinson, 2003): 
• Make a list of health-related concerns before you visit a health-care provider.
• Before a visit, write down the names and dosages of every drug you are 
currently taking.
• Determine if your provider will communicate with you via e-mail and under 
what circumstances.
• If you fi nd yourself intimidated, take along an advocate—a friend or relative—
who can help you communicate more effectively.
• Take notes during the visit.
 INCREASING COMPLIANCE WITH MEDICAL ADVICE 
Although compliance with medical advice does not guarantee that a patient’s medi-
cal problems will go away, it does optimize the possibility that the patient’s condition 
will improve. What, then, can health-care providers do to produce greater compli-
ance on the part of their patients? One strategy is to provide clear instructions to 
patients regarding drug regimens. Maintaining good, warm relations with patients 
also leads to increased compliance (Cheney, 1996; Arbuthnott & Sharpe, 2009). 
In addition, honesty helps. Patients generally prefer to be well informed—even 
if the news is bad; their degree of satisfaction with their medical care is linked to