Increasing Medication Adherence in LEP Latino Populations: Merging Speech Act Theory and Cultural Competency

• In Event: The Intersection of Race/Ethnicity, Health, and Communication

Abstract

Lack of patient medication adherence is a problem with LEP Latinos in the U.S. This paper applies speech act theory framework to demonstrate how the rules of a request (medication prescription) must be met in a physician-patient interaction. Suggestions are made as to how speech act theory can provide a theoretical framework for cultural competency models, specifically Betancourt’s (2006) model of adherence, and how physicians can best overcome cultural barriers to maximize medication adherence.

Author

• Lisa Guntzviller, Purdue University