Determining the Socioeconomic Impact in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Multiple Sclerosis By Kathleen Groen Demonstrate how one’s social position and background shape’s one’s experiences, values and belief’s about the world and one’s place in it. 2. Explain the social and cultural aspect of “expert” knowledge and how they influence the way we think about the work it’s problems and it’s solutions. If one’s social position and background shapes one’s experiences, values and belief’s, then someone presenting with a serious illness such as MS and who comes from a higher social class and educational background, will be given increased opportunities to achieve health and well being in spite of a diagnosis as MS. Medical Anthropology studies multiple expressions I which people organize to take care of health, disease and healing (NEED reference) I believe that I fought to preserve my daughter’s health by actions that were colored by my belief’s, culture and experience (influenced heavily by traditional western medicine and it practices. As a Registered Nurse, I believe I have expert knowledge. Expert knowledge is defined as ________________________________________________________________________________ With her diagnosis I went into action and pulled from this expert knowledge as a RN. I also had expert knowledge about our “medical system” Conclusion White, college educated, middle class people are able to receive prompt, effective care for a diagnosis of MS due to personal, social, economical, cultural and biomedical influences and as a result has achieved health and well being while living with MS The majority of people living with MS are a Northern European descent (white) and are twice as likely to have MS as African Americans and Asian Americans. 60% of those with MS are women Introduction If one’s social position and background shapes one’s experiences, values and beliefs, then someone presenting with a serious illness who comes from a higher social class and educational background will be given increased opportunities to achieve health and well being in spite of a diagnosis of MS Cultural influences and expectations in finding treatment of MS include being white, middle class, college educated and trusting the “expert” of western medicine Diagnosis and treatment of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is critically important to the health and well being of a person living with MS Literature Cited Http://en.citizendium.org/wiki/Multiple_sclerosis. Web. Http://www.swedish.org/. Web Http://www.msactivesource.org/. Web Http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/abstract/317/7163/917.Web According to the British Medical Journal, inequality in the distribution of income was associated with an adverse impact on health. 45% of those with no education or with less than a high school education reported fair or poor health compared with 6% of university graduates Diagnosis of MS is often a lengthy process, requiring multiple tests, doctor visits and at least two episodes of symptoms. My daughter was diagnosed within 21 days after symptoms began