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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2011 May 11.
Published in final edited form as: Fam Med. 2008 NOV-DEC;40(10):726–733.

Table 2.

A Student's Journal Entry Answering Arthur Kleinman's “Eight Questions”

Arthur Kleinman's “Eight Questions” A Korean Patient's Response An American Patient's Response
1. What do you call the problem? I don't know. It seems that he/she loses control of her brain. It is a sort of a shock. Epilepsy
2. What do you think has caused the problem? The mother was shocked or surprised during her pregnancy. A structural or metabolic abnormality in neuronal firing.
3. Why do you think it started when it did? When the mother undergoes a shock during her pregnancy, it disturbs the baby's mental state. After birth, the baby will always be affected, and it will be noticed by other people. There may have been a specific trigger which led to the development of seizures.
4. What do you think the sickness does? How does it work? It destabilizes a person's mental energies. Epilepsy results in synchronous neuronal firing in the brain.
5. How severe is the sickness? Will it have a short or long course? I don't know. I expect my doctor to determine this. I am eager to know. I don't know, but I am sure my doctor will tell me. I may also seek a second opinion from a tertiary hospital.
6. What kind of treatment do you think the patient should receive? What are the most important results you hope he/she receives from this treatment? She needs an herbal medicine, or a traditional mixture or potion. If the right medicines are taken, then her mind will be able to slowly come back to harmony. We need to get the most up-to-date medications. The newest treatments will offer the most hope for controlling epilepsy.
7. What are the chief problems the sickness has caused? This problem worries the family and friends. In addition, other people may wonder what is happening. It doesn't look good. Epileptic seizures have led to self injury and asphyxiation. It has also been stigmatizing.
8. What do you fear most about the sickness? We fear that our child will never have a normal life. I am confident we will solve the problem. I just hope this disease is curable.

* These questions are designed to elicit the patient's perspective on his/her illness and therefore help the provider become aware of important cultural perceptions.Students were asked to answer the eight questions for the American and non-American cultures based on readings, class discussions, and patient interactions.