Center on Religion & the Professions

Improving religious literacy among professionals.

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The Ill Girl

May 28, 2009 by Debra Mason

Lia Lee, a young child of Hmong immigrants, has been brought to the emergency room of a California medical clinic. It took several days for the doctors to diagnose the case because the interpreter, a Hmong whose English was poor, was inadequate. The problem was made worse because the parents considered Lia’s illness to be both a threat to her health – hence their trip to the clinic – and a sign that she may be destined to be a shaman. The doctors prescribed a drug regimen. The parents said they understood how to administer the medicine, although they couldn’t understand English or read what was written on the bottles.

Issues and Study Questions

  • Based on the overview above, what are the issues?
  • What beliefs are at issue here?
  • Were the parents “noncompliant?”
  • What could the doctors/nurses do differently?
  • What do you feel the doctors/patient/parents should do here?
  • How could a social worker or skilled interpreter assist in this situation?
  • Was religion an issue in this situation?
  • What is the responsibility of the health care community in such a situation? What about other professions?
  • Do you think there is a “right” and “wrong” way to handle this situation? Why? Why not?
  • Have you faced similar issues in your own profession or personal life? If so, what were they? Were they resolved?
  • What can be learned?
  • Do you think education about religious literacy would have helped/harmed in this situation? How so?

Source: Religion and the Professions (General Honors 1030) taught by Dr. Jill Raitt, University of Missouri

Filed Under: News Tagged With: case study, center on religion & the professions, class, conversation, faith, Hmong, multicultural, public, religion, religion news, religious literacy, science, spirituality, spiritualty and health, university of missouri, workplace

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The Center on Religion & the Professions

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