Perceptions of caring behaviors in health providers.

This ethnographic study examines what behaviors are perceived by American Indians in the southwest as demonstrating a caring attitude on the part of health care personnel. Key informants were selected from among tribal members living on a reservation in the southwest. The study sample consisted of 12 informants who identified themselves as members of the tribe. The sample ranged in age from 39 to 75 years, with a mean age of 54. Education achieved ranged from 7 to 18 years. These informants were selected for their knowledge of the culture of the community, their willingness to share information, and their ability to communicate in a non-analytic manner. The informants responded to a standard set of questions to provide information and stories related to caring behaviors. During the interviews, several informants offered suggestions to the researcher about how to show caring towards them and others in their community. suggestions for health providers included being a role model, being visible in the community, visiting people, sharing things about yourself, speaking truthfully, speaking from the heart, and learning about the culture. Although these results are not generalizable beyond the subjects and the setting studied, they do provide insight into what caring behaviors in health providers are considered important by these American Indian informants. Further ethnographic research among other American Indian or Alaska Native groups might be useful to determine if similar themes emerge related to what behaviors are perceived as evidence of caring.