Integrated Health Systems in Canada

Integrated Health Systems in Canada
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Institutional Affiliation
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Integrated Health Systems in Canada
Introduction
The reflection will be based on Chapter 4 – “Indigenous Knowledge and Health Care.” The topic under focus is “Incorporating Traditional Perspectives into Western Healthcare.” The topic is critical because it assists in bridging the gap between both Western healthcare with traditional approaches, hence integrating the two in a way that creates harmony. Moreover, the topic outlines that incorporating the two is critical because it assists in developing trust and understanding with all the patients. Healthcare professionals can help patients safely merge their traditional treatment options with the recommended Western treatments. The move requires maintaining an open atmosphere that allows the patients to express themselves freely.
Reflection on Existing Knowledge
I discovered that indigenous knowledge emphasized the balance between patients’ mental, physical, spiritual, and emotional aspects. In many cases, physicians may be more concerned about the “physical elements” of their patients. Such physicians may ignore other aspects that may have contributed to the sickness. A focus on any of the elements in isolation is breaking away from attending to the whole person. I learned that physicians should understand how the four aspects are important to the indigenous people. I now know why it is important for physicians to approach health holistically.
I learned that indigenous knowledge and traditional health are critical and should not be ignored. Patients and their families need to hear the opinions of the physicians. Likewise, the physician should understand the concerns of the patients. When dealing with indigenous people, I discovered that one needs to understand the culture well. For instance, I learned that indigenous cultures believe in equal status among all the community members. Here, title, class, education, or income do not challenge equality among the members. Hence, physicians should not use their titles to silence indigenous people, but rather they should allow them to talk.
I felt that I had been ignorant about the culture of the indigenous people. I had largely dismissed indigenous knowledge and traditional health as outdated. In the chapter, I discovered that I had been wrong. Indigenous knowledge and traditional health are critical components of the treatment process (Carrie et al., 2015). The course helped me to appreciate the need to respect the beliefs of others. I should be ready to accommodate the views of the in...