ABSTRACT
Health conditions for African Americans are due to a myriad of circumstances, many of which are linked to inadequate health care. The experience of the K. A. Edwards family illustrates how, even with the best of intentions, bringing a healthy baby into the world can become a stressful struggle with health problems that may become compounded, leading to potentially devastating effects. The wide range of medical services potentially available to anyone needing health care. Such services may include traditional health care systems, public health agencies, low-cost clinics, and community health care organizations sponsored by non-profit groups, as well as local, regional, and national government. The physician exercises control over the health care, dominates the decision making, and acts in what he or she believes is in the patient's best interest while expecting the patient to accept the prescribed diagnosis and treatment. The primary communication features present in face-to-face encounters between a primary caregiver and one receiving medical care.
