ABSTRACT
Culture is important because it affects the way we create, receive, process and interpret information. In a sociological study of medical doctors in Egypt, it was found that physicians cited “culture” as the number-one reason impeding the proper delivery of healthcare. However, people in many cultures and communities prefer a more family-centered approach to decision-making. Specific sites within a society, such as “the medical profession”, can foster their own culture which then affects the interactions between healthcare providers and their patients. Identifying the source of her anxiety as social pressure will likely help this patient to deal with it. The patient and family’s preferences in this case should be seen in the context of how they lived in the past. Patients and others are often influenced by the media or other sources to believe that certain Western practices, treatments or lifestyles are “better” or “more advanced” regardless of whether they are or not.
