Russian-American health care: Bridging the communication gap between physicians and patients

Objectives: The objectives of this article are two-fold: (1) to gather in one place reliable information about Russian-Americans' past medical practices and their current outlook on health care and to provide health care professionals with an overview of the major afflictions suffered by this ethnic group; and (2) to educate Russian-speaking patients about the American heath care system and social services geared towards immigrants by locating and evaluating free, culturally appropriate patient education Web sites available in Russian. Methods: In order to draw data on specific diseases and conditions affecting the Russian-speaking population, the author searched various scholarly health-related electronic databases. A number of well-established U.S. government consumer-health Web sites were searched to locate patient education resources that can be utilized by recent Russian immigrants. Results: The author provides an overview of the major health problems encountered by the Russian-speaking population before emigration and potential health concerns for Russian immigrant communities. In addition, the author provides a scholarly exploration of patient education materials available in Russian. Conclusion: In this increasingly diverse society, physicians are faced with the challenge of providing culturally sensitive health care. Multicultural Web-based health resources can serve as a valuable tool for reducing communication barriers between patients and health care providers, thus improving the delivery of quality health care services. Recommendations for further research are indicated. Practice implications: The author offers recommendations for practitioners serving Russian-speaking immigrants. Suggestions on utilization of Web resources are also provided. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.