Limiting Language Barriers in Healthcare
ANNIE PATEL – Language barriers are a challenge in healthcare across the country because there are more than 66 million people that speak a language other than English at home, many of whom have limited English speaking abilities. It prevents effective communication between the medical providers and the patients, which then leads to less trust and less engagement in the interaction. This not only causes miscommunication and difficulty in providing the best care, but it also prevents patients from seeking medical care, especially at primary care offices. However, recently there has been more efforts and policies in place to limit language barriers.
Medical institutions have used translators as a means to communicate with patients. Translators help prevent any misunderstandings from happening and give the patients more reassurance that they are being given the best care. However, many offices do not have access to translators for multiple languages and have difficulty finding translators overall. As a result, to combat this issue, some institutions use equipment to have virtual translators. This means that multiple translators for a variety of different languages are available at any time and simply video call to speak with the providers and patients. This method helps ensure that translators of multiple languages are accessible for the patients.
In addition to translators, there has been an increase in the demand for bilingual or multilingual providers. Access to providers that can speak two or more languages leads to increased patient satisfaction and improved health outcomes for patients with limited English proficiency. These providers give the patients a greater sense of security since they know that their provider will not have difficulty in understanding their health concerns and that they’ll be able to understand the treatment plans proposed by the provider.
Overall, while language barriers are common in healthcare settings, medical institutions recognize this issue and are working towards providing accessible translators and bilingual providers to patients.
Links:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7201401/
https://patientengagementhit.com/news/how-overcoming-language-barriers-improves-primary-care-access
https://www.healthaffairs.org/do/10.1377/forefront.20210726.579549/full/
https://onlinedegrees.kent.edu/college-of-public-health/community/benefits-bilingual-healthcare