Culture influences an individuals health beliefs, behaviours, activities and medical treatment outcomes.【C1】______ the significant influence of culture upon health and related outcomes, health care【C2】______ should be culturally competent in order to provide【C3】______ health care to patients. Cultural competency means considering many options and being more careful about making judgements.【C4】______, scars and bruises that suggest abuse in western culture could【C5】______ be symbols of accepted healing methods or sacred rituals.【C6】______, different parts of the body are considered sacred in different cultures. Cultural competency in healthcare【C7】______ four major challenges for providers. The first is the straightforward challenge of recognizing clinical【C8】______ among people of different ethnic and racial groups, e.g., higher【C9】______ of hypertension in African Americans and【C10】______ diabetes in certain Native American groups. The second, and far more complicated, challenge is【C11】______. This deals with everything from the need for interpreters to nuances of words in various languages. Many patients, even in western cultures, are【C12】______ to talk with their doctors about【C13】______ personal matters as sexual activity or chemical use. How do we overcome this【C14】______ among more restricted cultures？ The third challenge is ethics.【C15】______ western medicine is among the best in the world, we do not have all the【C16】______. Respect for the belief systems of【C17】______ and the effects of those beliefs on well-being are critically important to competent care. The final challenge involves【C18】______. For some patients, authority figures are immediately mistrusted,【C19】______ for good reason. Having seen or been victims of atrocities at the hands of authorities in their homelands, many people are as【C20】______ of caregivers themselves as they are of the care.

【C1】

A．Because of

B．Due to

C．Thanks to

D．In regard to