Multiculturalidad en salud: epidemiología sociocultural

Resumen

espanolDesde hace un tiempo, interculturalidad en salud o salud intercultural, han sido conceptos indistintamente utilizados para designar al conjunto de acciones y politicas que tienden a conocer e incorporar la cultura del usuario en el proceso de atencion de salud. La tematica de la pertinencia cultural del proceso de atencion es un fenomeno que trasciende lo exclusivamente etnico pues implica valorar la diversidad biologica, cultural y social del ser humano como un factor importante en todo proceso de salud y enfermedad. Se hace imperativo promover el desarrollo de estrategias interculturales en salud que faciliten la relacion medico-paciente, y que la diversidad cultural no sea una barrera en el acceso y oportunidad a una mejor atencion de salud. EnglishFor some time now, interculturalism in health or intercultural health have been concepts interchangeably used to designate the set of actions and policies aimed to know and incorporate the user‘s culture into the health care process. The topic of the cultural relevance of the care process is a phenomenon that transcends what is exclusively ethnic, because it implies valuing the biological, cultural and social diversity of the human being as an important factor in every health and disease process. It becomes imperative to promote the development of intercultural strategies in health care that facilitate the doctor-patient relationship, and that cultural diversity does not constitute a barrier in the access and opportunity to a better health care. This article sets forth, from sociocultural epidemiology, the fundamental concepts for the development of an intercultural approach in health, and furthermore it outlines strategies that would allow to implement this approach in the health sector.