PEDIATRICS Vol. 76 No. 5 November 1985, pp. 858
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Black Patients—White Doctors

RUTH KAHAN KAMINER MD1

1 Children's Evaluation and Rehabilitation Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 1410 Pelham Pkwy, Bronx, NY 10461

To the Editor.—

Dr Levy's article, "White Doctors and Black Patients: Influence of Race on the Doctor-Patient Relationship" (Pediatrics 1985;75:639-643), addresses an important topic but concludes by giving contradictory advice. The underlying issue is one of cross-cultural communication between doctors and patients who belong to different subcultures in the same society. The physician needs to know and respect the usual pattern of beliefs and behaviors in the patient's subculture in order to know which premises are shared with him or her, to recognize deviation, and to communicate effectively.