That experience helped me better understand something I had long observed among immigrant families \u2013 that immigrant patients often seek out healthcare providers from similar backgrounds<\/a>. What they are often seeking goes beyond a shared language or cultural familiarity. <\/p>\n I am a health administration professor and lawyer<\/a> who studies how people navigate health systems. In my work, and through conversations with immigrant families, including my own, I have seen how subtle interactions in clinical settings can shape whether patients feel confident or dismissed and unsure about returning for care. For some, choosing a doctor with a similar background represents their best attempt to feel more understood. <\/p>\n The fact that many patients actively seek out providers who share aspects of their cultural background<\/a>, even when doing so may require additional effort or limit their options, illustrates that it is not a minor preference, but a meaningful part of how people experience care.<\/p>\n Beyond a shared language<\/p>\n Immigrants make up a growing share of patients in the U.S., accounting for about 15% of the population<\/a>. <\/p>\n Large national studies suggest that patients often seek providers with whom they share a cultural background<\/a>. That choice is especially pronounced among racial and ethnic minority patients, those who speak a language other than English at home and those with public insurance. <\/p>\n Even as the U.S. physician workforce becomes more diverse<\/a>, many patients still report difficulty finding providers<\/a> who share their cultural or linguistic background. At the same time, some evidence suggests the number of foreign-born physicians may also be declining<\/a>. In my view, that makes the effort to find such providers all the more noteworthy. <\/p>\n Healthcare providers can do a lot to support patients\u2019 sense of trust in their care. A shared language may seem like the most obvious explanation for why immigrants seek out doctors from similar backgrounds. And in many cases, it does matter. When patients and clinicians speak the same language, communication improves and medical errors decline<\/a>, especially for patients who are not fluent in English.<\/p>\n But language alone does not explain experiences like my own.<\/p>\n Narrative research on immigrant patients<\/a> describes broader issues. For example, a patient might raise a concern about a persistent symptom, only to feel too quickly dismissed, or hear an explanation delivered in a simplified way that does not match their level of knowledge or experience. <\/p>\n These moments can be subtle, but as they accumulate over time, they may contribute to a sense that medical care feels transactional or dismissive<\/a> rather than responsive to patients\u2019 concerns. Even patients who are fully fluent in English and comfortable navigating the health system may come to expect not to be fully heard. <\/p>\n That expectation can shape where people feel comfortable seeking care. <\/p>\n Why shared background can matter<\/p>\n Sharing a background, whether through race, ethnicity, language or cultural experience, can sometimes help create a sense of connection \u2013 especially at the start of a relationship. <\/p>\n But research suggests the relationship is more nuanced than simply matching patients and doctors by identity. The way a doctor communicates, as well as whether they listen carefully, take concerns seriously and involve patients in decisions, also plays a central role. <\/p>\n In one study that examined physician-patient relationships across racial and ethnic groups, patients who felt personally similar to their physician \u2013 for example, in how the physician communicated, approached decisions or seemed to understand their concerns \u2013 were more likely to trust their doctor<\/a>, feel satisfied with their care and follow medical advice. <\/p>\n![\"Busy](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/file-20260512-63-aa0jd9.jpg\")
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