Identity and intercultural communication are crucial aspects when dealing with healthcare. As explained in Experiencing Intercultural Communication (EIC), as the world becomes more culturally diverse, the need to communicate effectively with other cultures and identities and acclimate oneself with some form of affirmation also increases (Martin, Nakayama, 2011, p. 365 ). An important issue in healthcare with respect for different cultures is that of mistrust. For example, the Tuskegee syphilis project, conducted by the US Public Health Service on people of African-American ethnic identity over a 40-year period, created a dramatic health barrier. Black patients seeking help for syphilis were given a placebo so the government could study how the disease spreads in the patient's body and in the community (Martin, Nakayama, 2011, p. 371). Given the history of medical mistreatment, one can understand that some members of the black community would be reluctant to seek healthcare, especially in a predominantly Caucasian society. Ethnic identities reflect the set of ideas about belonging to one's ethnic group. Understanding the history of treatment of specific ethnic identities is an important factor in this situation because it is necessary to try to change the situation through community awareness and maintaining rigorous, transparent and ethically prudent medical practices to try to create a basis of trust. Otherwise there may be no communication. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Another example is how healthcare can affect those who have a particular sexual identity. Sexual identity is what is determined by your gender and sexual orientation. With the rise of AIDS and HIV in the late 20th century, many people in gay and minority communities feared little preferential treatment. Because there is a stereotype that AIDS and HIV mostly affect gay people and people of color, who use drugs or are poor, it was thought that they would not receive adequate attention. In fact, there has been a slow response to this issue which has led to a separate healthcare system within the gay community (Martin, Nakayama, 2011, p. 372). Finding a way to address and communicate about these issues and understand cultural identities would have saved lives in both of these scenarios. Verbal and nonverbal communication also play a critical role when addressing intercultural communication in healthcare. The obvious example here is if you don't speak the same language. On a personal level I would worry about how adequate my diagnosis would be if I wasn't able to effectively communicate my problem. Often in the medical field, patients who do not speak the native language of the place where they are hospitalized must rely on their bilingual children (children who can speak two languages) to transmit information between doctor and patient. This can lead to complications when things get lost in translation because both the doctor and the patient have no way of verifying what was communicated. However, beyond the obvious, there are subtleties in communication that should be addressed. One issue that may arise is variations in communication styles. Communication styles combine verbal and nonverbal elements. It refers to the way people use language and helps listeners understand how to interpret verbal messages. In the medical field, dealing with high context style communication orlow can greatly influence a diagnosis. High-context style refers to where most of the information conveyed by a person is primarily found in physical context or internalized. Low context is when most of the meaning comes in the form of a verbal message. It is clear that as a doctor, knowing which culture you are dealing with will allow you to do better contextual preparation to carry out an adequate analysis. Another example of how communication styles differ is with other various approaches. Some people have a very direct communication style. This makes things easier for a professional, but knowing how to deal with people who have an indirect communication style is useful for the purpose of better understanding how everyone communicates and how they will want to be treated socially and physically. Some cultures, for example the Japanese one, have a very sober communication style. Sometimes people from this culture downplay their ailment as a show of strength when in reality they are quite ill. As a doctor, being able to read nonverbal cues is helpful when dealing with this and other cross-cultural situations because these often overcome the language barrier. Knowing how to deal with different types of conflict styles is a key element in the medical industry. Doctors often have to enforce some form of mediation. People and their family members/partners who arrive in emergency situations all have different conflict styles and are often in some form of emotional distress. Knowing which perspective to take with any particular patient makes the doctor something of a strategist. Some conflict styles work well in healthcare for both the doctor and the patient. Using an accommodating conflict style is beneficial to both parties especially because you are attempting to counteract any type of incompatibility for the sake of their interdependence in this situation. The doctor relies on the patient to convey to them information useful for diagnosis, and the patient relies on the doctor to understand and treat his or her disorder. Both parties rely on their communication to ensure the success of the transaction. Using a discussion style is also necessary because both parties must communicate to achieve some form of resolution to whatever ailment or problem the patient is having. As a doctor, you must also exercise caution when dealing with religious conflict. Some patients are not allowed to eat or drink during the day due to periods of religious fasting. As a doctor, knowing this allows you to prescribe a once-daily medication to be taken after dark, instead of a four-times-daily medication that can be ruled out entirely. “The good doctor cures the disease; the great doctor cures the patient who has the disease”. – William OslerWhat distinguishes a good professional from a bad or even mediocre one is the ability to form a type of friendship or, contextually, an intercultural relationship. Being able to identify that people tend to gravitate towards people to whom they are similar, for example the similarity principle, can help create a type of complementary scenario in which the doctor is sensitive to the patient's possible reluctance or cultural needs. Building these types of relationships helps increase the cultural awareness of both parties and greatly increase the fluidity and success of future cross-cultural interactions. Often patients will be reluctant to receive treatment due to negative stereotypes, anxiety, motivation and general differences in communication styles and perceptions, and it is up to the professional to be aware of these situations and.