The Role of Healthcare Providers
Health is not only an absence of disease, but a complete state of physical, mental and social well-being. Therefore, the provider needs to take into account the social and cultural realities of the client.
A health care provider's role is to care for the health of his/her patients. This ultimately requires that the provider understands important details about the patient's behaviours and that the patient invests in the provider with a high degree of trust. In order to gain trust, the provider will need to create an atmosphere of openness, and one that encourages the client to speak freely (i.e. privacy and confidentiality should be respected). A client should feel that the provider is supportive, respectful and non-judgmental. Improving the interaction between providers and clients will ultimately help clients to reduce their risk of infection and will result in better quality service.
Non-judgmental: A non-judgmental attitude is when the provider does not impose his/her own beliefs, morals, ethics, prejudices, and opinions on the client. Imposing guilt and voicing disapproval rarely helps the client to deal with a concern in a responsible fashion. Providers can improve their interactions with clients by becoming aware of their own personal biases, values and attitudes, and by working to prevent them from interfering with the ability to provide non-judgmental services.
Confidentiality: Any information, verbal or written, related to a client's health condition should be kept confidential and should not be accessible by anyone except the healthcare provider. If the provider is obligated to share information about the client for the purpose of either research or consultation with another physician for diagnosis, he/she must obtain informed consent from the client. An informed consent is when the provider clearly and accurately explains the purpose of sharing the information before taking consent.
Privacy: The healthcare provider should ensure an environment where the client is able to express his/her health concerns in complete privacy. Although this is especially relevant in the context of RTIs because of the significant social and cultural stigmas attached to them, privacy should ideally be provided to all clients seeking healthcare regardless of the nature of their health condition. In the case of a female client, the provider should encourage the presence of a female while examining the client.
The Role
of Healthcare Providers
Sexual Health Concerns
Approaches to Sexual Health
Skills
