Culture in Medicine: a Modern Art for an Ancient Practice. Report on 16th WONCA Europe Conference: Family medicine into the future, blending health & cultures

Experiencing a new culture is one of the most frequently cited reasons for overseas travel, where differences in thinking, personal interactions and lifestyle are often expected, encouraged and enjoyed. But divergence in attitudes and practices does not only apply at an explicit, international level. Intranational and interdisciplinary differences exist between geographical regions, socio-economic classes and so on, and between healthcare staff, their colleagues and their patients. All too often in medicine however such cultural differences are inadequately considered and the associated lack of understanding risks miscomprehension from poor communication, frustration with unmet expectations and ultimately impaired patient care. How can we work to overcome this?

As well as being passive-absorptive physicians, we need to actively promote attention to that which underpins health-related behaviour, both outside and inside our own contexts. This was a core thread of the recent 16th WONCA Europe Conference in Spain, and the means to achieve this a core theme of the Vasco de Gama Movement (VdGM). The conference’s subtitle - ‘Family Medicine into the Future, Blending Health & Cultures’ - and key VdGM themes such as adapting to multicultural practice and demographic trends in Europe, emphasised the impact of culture on health and the on-going attention it warrants. This review highlights some of the opportunities presented for learning from, education on and experience in both our own and difference practices.