Communication critical for care

Patient Safety Monitor Alert

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September 28, 2005

Although language barriers present hospital staff with a basic communicative challenge, the differences in speech sometimes mask larger cultural differences. Those societal norms may make reporting medical problems difficult for patients, according to an article in The Boston Globe.

The story features a pregnant Haitian woman who had a cough, but didn't express the severity of the symptom because everyone where she's from coughs. A few months after giving birth, the patient died of Tuberculosis.

A lack of communication leads to a sub-par patient history. That must be augmented with additional tests for medical staff to properly understand the patient's condition. That increases the costs of healthcare, which is then borne by the hospital if the patient is indigent.

Immigrants receive less than half the healthcare treatment of citizens, even though roughly 58% of non-native Americans have insurance. The lack of English proficiency makes understanding physician instruction or forms difficult.

To read the complete article, click here.