Medical anthropologists learn about cultural differences in explaining what causes illness and what people from different cultures believe is acceptable as treatment. The germ theory and the idea that illness is not due to supernatural causes are widely accepted by educated people in the Western World and areas that have adopted our medical system. However, much of the rest of the world has very different explanations. Medical anthropologists can help doctors and nurses understand how to better communicate with and treat patients who hold these other explanations. Medical anthropologists also are interested in the epidemiology of illnesses--that is their causes and how they can be cured or controlled.