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Introduction
What is medical Chinese?
The purpose of this entry on medical Chinese is "...to help the medical interviewer learn to conduct a simple but thorough history and physical examination in Chinese. This includes a combination of words, simple phrases, and intermediate-level sentences, arranged under sections for taking a medical history and for physical examination, as well as a glossary of body parts/organs and common diseases. Some knowledge of basic Chinese is helpful." (See also Medical Punjabi for health workers)
Purpose
The purpose of this entry is to help those who want to communicate with Chinese Canadians in health settings by steering them to useful websites, and other information. Information on medical Chinese is focussed on translation or basic terms for speakers but is difficult to locate. Canadian medical schools are working on developing medical Chinese curricula and compiling lists of materials for students who want culturally-sensitive information for Chinese-speakers. The goal of this wiki entry is to help reduce linguistic and cultural barriers for UBC medical faculty and students. The Chinese American Medical Society (NYU Medical School) has developed a programme for Medical Chinese and a Medical Chinese Teaching Module. The National Library of Medicine also produces an excellent series of lists entitled Asian American Health. Medical education and primary care need to address issues of culture, language, and health literacy in communicating with these patients so that appropriate questions are asked, and accurate information is exchanged between patients and their providers. However, the content presented above, while useful, is not always relevant in the Canadian context.
Canadian context
In Canadian urban centres, especially Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal (though not exclusively) growing numbers of Chinese-speaking citizens and communities are built around a blend of Canadian and Asian cultures. Canadian society is extremely diverse; and this is reflected in the many languages and ethnic groups spoken across the country. Increasingly, those same, numerous ethnic, cultural and linguistic groups come to health libraries to seek assistance from health librarians. Often, their goals are to find information in their mother tongue about Canadian health care or how to obtain reliable information about diseases, diagnostic tests and medical procedures. Within most institutions, there are often patient education materials written specifically by nurses and other health workers to communicate with Chinese-speaking patients.
Canadian medical school courses
Patient education materials
Dictionaries
- English-Chinese and Chinese-English dictionaries:
Canadian links 
 Cultural competencies are important in delivering patient care U.S. links
References
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- Eng J, Chung W. Medical Chinese and cultural responsiveness initiative: improving patient care in the Chinese community by reducing language and cultural barriers. APHA Meet, 2007.
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- Lai DWL. Health and predictors of health among older Chinese Canadians in British Columbia. BC Medical Journal. 2003;45:382-390.
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- Orona CJ, Koenig BA, Davis AJ. Cultural aspects of nondisclosure. Camb Q Healthc Ethics. 1994;3:338-46.
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