In anthropology and transcultural nursing, rel. to a type of disease analysis that focuses on the culture of the patient. The emic perspective emphasizes the subjective experience and cultural beliefs pertinent to the illness experience. For example, in psychiatric settings in the southeastern U.S., many patients believe that their illness is caused by a spell or curse from evil spirits. In these cases, a health care worker using an emic perspective would ask an indigenous health care provider to consult with the patient in addition to providing care within the traditional health care system.