| Summary: | Background: Communication is central to the physician-patient relationship in family medicine. The fact that many physicians feel inadequate or ineffective in encounters with First Nations patients combined with statistics indicating significant health disparities in this group is concerning. This project uses information from a variety of sources to create a film that examines some of the fundamental principles of culturally sensitive communication. Film can be a powerful medium to explore such a topic because it evokes an emotional response necessary to engage the audience while effectively conveying information. Objective: The purpose of this project is to explore the concept of culturally appropriate communication and to provide health care practitioners with insight and hopefully tools that will help better serve First Nations patients. The film documents my learning journey surrounding sensitive communication and First Nations health. Overlying themes such as power imbalance in physician-patient relationships and the ensuing effect on communication will also be explored. Design: This is a qualitative study in which health care professionals participated in semi-structured interviews on videotape to provide perspective on culturally competent communication. Clips of these interviews are edited into a film created using archival and personal reflective storytelling. The end result is an artistic project that investigates culturally sensitive communication. Setting: Victoria, B.C. and surrounding area. Participants: Health care professionals with experience in First Nations health from variety of disciplines were invited to participate in the interviews. Method: Videotaped semi-structured interviews were conducted and edited into the body of a film. The film otherwise employs archival footage, novel footage, information gathered through an extensive literature search and personal reflection surrounding experiences in the area of culturally sensitive communication. Ethics approval was obtained from the UBC ...
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