Up to now, the Norwegian population has been homogeneous as regards language and culture, the only exception being the 30,000 indigenous Sami people. With the recent increase of the number of immigrants, particularly refugees and asylum seekers, Norwegian health care workers are faced with a new challenge: communication barriers due to differences in culture. This article lists 12 signal systems and shows how messages can be transmitted, interpreted and misinterpreted, depending on cultural background. Our world view and socio-cultural reference is important for how we interpret messages conveyed in the form of words and nonverbal signals. Ten commandments regarding refugee/intercultural health care are formulated as practical guidelines.

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Health Personnel health service Communication Barriers Emigration and Immigration Humans Cultural Characteristics refugee cultural factor ethnology psychological aspect Norway Health Services Needs and Demand Article health care personnel human communication disorder Refugees migration