Eighteenth International Conference on Diversity in Organizations, Communities & Nations

Abstract

Over the past decade there has been an increase in the number of Palestinian patients hospitalized in Israeli hospitals. Statistics conducted by the Ministry of Medical Tourism show about sixty Palestinian children. During the course of the treatment, difficulties arise due to language barriers, culture, values, and customs. This situation makes patients less likely to report symptoms, to get proper explanation, and then to follow instructions as required by the caregivers. Thus there are situations of errors in diagnosis and difficulty in receiving and transmitting information, all of which harm the quality of treatment. The Director General of the Ministry of Health Circular refers to the cultural and linguistic adaptation and accessibility issue (Ministry of Health, 2013) This study examines the degree of organizational cultural competence from the perspective of the staff in pediatric departments and at the same time the patients cultural anamnesis. In addition, it is necessary to understand the factors that explain the degree of their literacy and open mindedness - their ability to obtain and digest medical information, to understand it, to derive meaning from these factors, and to evaluate the patient’s experience. The study is prospective. The study will include 150 parents of Palestinian children treated at Edmond and Lily Safra Children’s Hospital and 150 medical and nursing staff members.