| Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is one of the most popular forms of traditional medicine. However, the global dominance of Western medicine has created structural inequalities in medical systems that affect how patients, TCM physicians, and Western doctors enact their agency of using or not using TCM as a pathway of healing. By identifying the communication challenges faced by patients and professionals, this dissertation provides an understanding of how patients communicate their needs when seeking better health with TCM physicians. This study draws on works adopting the Culture-Centered Approach (CCA) for studying communication practices in a healthcare setting. This study suggests that power, identity, and (in)accessibility contribute to the marginalization of TCM and make communication challenging for patients and TCM physician when they choose TCM as a pathway of healing. The results indicate that identifying policy makers as the key stakeholder who might be absent from the communication process is important. |
