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Religio-cultural Considerations When Providing Health Care to American Muslims

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Diversity and Inclusion in Quality Patient Care

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Abstract

Cultural competency is important for delivering quality health care, particularly for cultural and religious minorities, and can reduce discrimination and health disparities. Muslim Americans represent diverse ethnic groups yet bound together by a religious identity with common values. This community is generally under-researched and not well understood, and thus receives the less than optimal level of health care that results when providers are not culturally attuned. Accordingly, this chapter reviews the salient religious values, beliefs, and cultural tendencies that impact health care behaviors among this population, and provides guidance regarding cultural accommodations that can promote the delivery of culturally sensitive health care to this community.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Emergency Medicine, Woodhull Medical and Mental Health Center, New York University School of Medicine, Brooklyn, NY, USA

    Ugo A. Ezenkwele M.D., M.P.H.

  2. Emergency Department, King’s County Hospital—SUNY Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY, USA

    Gholamreza Sadeghipour Roodsari M.D., M.P.H.

  3. Department of Medicine, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA

    Aasim I. Padela M.D., M.Sc.

Authors
  1. Ugo A. Ezenkwele M.D., M.P.H.
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  2. Gholamreza Sadeghipour Roodsari M.D., M.P.H.
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  3. Aasim I. Padela M.D., M.Sc.
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ugo A. Ezenkwele M.D., M.P.H. .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Professor of Emergency Medicine University of Virginia School of Medicine Department of Emergency Medicine, Vice President and Chief Officer for Diversity and Equity, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA

    Marcus L. Martin

  2. Assistant Dean Clinical Education & Student Affairs Emory University School of Medicine, Professor of Emergency Medicine Vice Chair – Administrative Affairs, Atlanta, Georgia, USA

    Sheryl L. Heron

  3. Director of Diversity Department of Medicine Section of Emergency Medicine Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center - New Orleans, Professor of Emergency Medicine Director of Research, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

    Lisa Moreno-Walton

  4. University of Virginia Hospital, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA

    Anna Walker Jones

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© 2016 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

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Ezenkwele, U.A., Roodsari, G.S., Padela, A.I. (2016). Religio-cultural Considerations When Providing Health Care to American Muslims. In: Martin, M., Heron, S., Moreno-Walton, L., Jones, A. (eds) Diversity and Inclusion in Quality Patient Care. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-22840-2_17

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-22840-2_17

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-22839-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-22840-2

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

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