Date of Presentation
5-4-2023 12:00 AM
College
School of Osteopathic Medicine
Poster Abstract
According to the US Census Bureau Spanish is the most common non-English language spoken in the US. Despite the growing population of Spanish-speaking individuals, most healthcare providers can only communicate in English. Linguistic differences between patients and providers have been identified to impact the quality of care received, therefore, it is not surprising that Spanish-speaking patients have been found to be less satisfied with healthcare. Language barriers in healthcare lead to poor compliance and underuse of services which eventually negatively impact health outcomes. Several studies found that the most effective communication tools are often underutilized, with healthcare providers relying on untrained interpreters instead, oftentimes leading to medical errors, incorrect treatment and misdiagnosis. The purpose of this study is to investigate the availability of interpretation services offered by New Jersey healthcare providers in Camden, Gloucester, Atlantic, Salem, and Cumberland County and increase awareness of interpretation services available in these healthcare settings.
Keywords
New Jersey, Communication Barriers, Communication Barriers, Translating, Cultural Competency, Patient Satisfaction, Hispanic or Latino
Disciplines
Bioethics and Medical Ethics | Health and Medical Administration | Health Communication | Health Services Administration | Medical Humanities | Medicine and Health Sciences | Public Health
Document Type
Poster
Included in
Bioethics and Medical Ethics Commons, Health and Medical Administration Commons, Health Communication Commons, Health Services Administration Commons, Medical Humanities Commons
Evaluation of Available Medical Interpretation Resources Available to Spanish-Speaking Patients in NJ AHEC Counties
According to the US Census Bureau Spanish is the most common non-English language spoken in the US. Despite the growing population of Spanish-speaking individuals, most healthcare providers can only communicate in English. Linguistic differences between patients and providers have been identified to impact the quality of care received, therefore, it is not surprising that Spanish-speaking patients have been found to be less satisfied with healthcare. Language barriers in healthcare lead to poor compliance and underuse of services which eventually negatively impact health outcomes. Several studies found that the most effective communication tools are often underutilized, with healthcare providers relying on untrained interpreters instead, oftentimes leading to medical errors, incorrect treatment and misdiagnosis. The purpose of this study is to investigate the availability of interpretation services offered by New Jersey healthcare providers in Camden, Gloucester, Atlantic, Salem, and Cumberland County and increase awareness of interpretation services available in these healthcare settings.