Excerpts from presentation by Julie Walsh Kroeker and Willa Aaron at noon on Thursday Jan. 15, 2004 to staff at Kaiser Moanalua: “A Micro-orientation to Micronesian Attitudes and Beliefs about Health Care.” Please acknowledge source when citing.

Beliefs and Practices

• Delayed and/or abbreviated treatment
• Different definitions of disease (lice, boils, scabies)
• Cultural taboos about sex impact ability to discuss particular illnesses
• Some illnesses are supernaturally imposed
• Pregnancy has many behavioral taboos, and rituals, including herbal beverages and baths

Communication Strategies

• Determine ethnicity –Chuukese, Pohnpeian, Marshallese, etc.
• Recognize that your own authority impacts your interactions
• Ask questions and listen patiently --very, very, very patiently.
• Offer alternatives, encourage choices.
• Ask about household composition, transportation, accessibility to resources, translation possibilities.
• Express your care and concern.

 “YES”

• Be aware that YES has more than one meaning due to the necessity of cooperating with authority and the discomfort of refusing others’ requests.
• Yes may mean yes, no, or maybe.
• Ask follow up questions. WAIT PATIENTLY.
• “Can you come at 4?” can be followed with: How will you get here? Would 4:30 be better for you? Can you take the bus if your ride is late? Would you give me a call if you won’t be able to come so I can schedule other patients? 
• Make it clear that No is an acceptable response. “It’s okay if that time doesn’t work for you. Tell when is better.”
• Assure them they are welcome to bring a friend.