Bilingual health communicators:role delineation issues

Matthews, Clair; Johnson, Maree; Noble, Cathy

doi:10.1071/ah000104

Cited by 15 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 19 publications

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“…Five of these workforce articles were primarily based on multicultural health-related issues. Tang et al [96] studied the (negative) attitudes to nursing in secondary students from non-English-speaking background; Mathews et al [97] differentiated between the role of bilingual staff and interpreters based on the views of a range of bilingual and interpreting staff; Johnson et al [98] surveyed bilingual staff in an area health service and found a language 'mismatch' between bilingual staff and the local populations, and that bilingual staff mainly used their language in simple conversations; Mathews et al [87] qualitatively evaluated the role of ethnic health staff in hospitals; and Bayram et al [86] researched overseas trained doctors and found that, in comparison with locally trained doctors, they were younger, worked more sessions, were less experienced and saw a different range and mix of patients (newer patients, more disadvantaged and Indigenous patients). The AHR study, which considered multicultural health issues in a moderate way, looked at the changing workforce challenges and the changing profile of Australian medical students [99].…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Representations and coverage of non-English-speaking immigrants and multicultural issues in three major Australian health care publications

Garrett

Dickson

Whelan

et al. 2010

Aust N Z Health Policy

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BackgroundNo recent Australian studies or literature, provide evidence of the extent of coverage of multicultural health issues in Australian healthcare research. A series of systematic literature reviews in three major Australian healthcare journals were undertaken to discover the level, content, coverage and overall quality of research on multicultural health. Australian healthcare journals selected for the study were The Medical Journal of Australia (MJA), The Australian Health Review (AHR), and The Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health (ANZPH). Reviews were undertaken of the last twelve (12) years (1996-August 2008) of journal articles using six standard search terms: 'non-English-speaking', 'ethnic', 'migrant', 'immigrant', 'refugee' and 'multicultural'.ResultsIn total there were 4,146 articles published in these journals over the 12-year period. A total of 90 or 2.2% of the total articles were articles primarily based on multicultural issues. A further 62 articles contained a major or a moderate level of consideration of multicultural issues, and 107 had a minor mention.ConclusionsThe quantum and range of multicultural health research and evidence required for equity in policy, services, interventions and implementation is limited and uneven. Most of the original multicultural health research articles focused on newly arrived refugees, asylum seekers, Vietnamese or South East Asian communities. While there is some seminal research in respect of these represented groups, there are other communities and health issues that are essentially invisible or unrepresented in research. The limited coverage and representation of multicultural populations in research studies has implications for evidence-based health and human services policy.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Representations and coverage of non-English-speaking immigrants and multicultural issues in three major Australian health care publications

Garrett

Dickson

Whelan

et al. 2010

Aust N Z Health Policy

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“…This study showed that more than half of the doctors and nurses surveyed declared that they often used migrants’ family and friends to facilitate the communication [18]. The common practice of using bilingual health staff is not recommended either, because the employees are not trained interpreters [39]. Furthermore, according to the guidelines at Norwegian hospitals (i.e.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Invisible rights: Barriers and facilitators to access and use of interpreter services in health care settings by Polish migrants in Norway

Czapka

Gerwing

Sagbakken

2018

Scand J Public Health

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Aims: Polish migration to Norway is a relatively new phenomenon. Many Polish migrants do not speak Norwegian or have insufficient knowledge of the language, which makes it difficult or impossible to communicate with health personnel. The main aim of the study was to identify barriers and facilitators to Polish migrants' access and use of interpreter services in health care settings in Norway.Methods: 19 semi-structured interviews with Polish migrants were carried out in 2013 and 2014. Thematic analysis was performed to identify barriers and facilitators related to the use of interpreter services.Results: Participants often received information regarding their health condition and treatment in a language they did not fully understand. They reported that their access to interpretation services was limited or denied for a variety of reasons, such as reluctance of health personnel to book an interpreter and overestimation of patient's language skills. In many cases, using friends, relatives or bilingual staff instead of professional interpreters compromised the quality of interpretation. Conclusions:Even though migrants are entitled to free interpreter services, Polish migrants experience several barriers accessing interpreters in health care settings. A variety of practices such as selective use and use of unqualified and ad hoc interpreters reveals a failure to meet recommended standards of interpretation services. Not involving professional interpreters in language discordant consultations constitutes a serious threat to practitioners' ability to work as competent professionals, potentially risking the quality and safety of healthcare for these patients.

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“…13 This was unexpected, as interpreting is formally delineated as an interpreter' s role and outside of the guidelines for EHS practice. However, the two situations exemplified sensible use of EHS and competence in voice-box interpreting.…”

Section: Clarifying Misunderstood Treatment Instructionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…12 Health care interpreters reduce the language barrier through language assistance in a triadic relationship between the client and health professional. 13 Ethnic health workers use their language, cultural insight and relationship with the community to encourage access to health and other related services and foster better health outcomes by facilitating the client through the system. The facilitation role was designed to support the client through the unfamiliarity of Australian health care systems, facilitate the provision of culturally sensitive care by practitioners, and ensure referral to appropriate follow-up services.…”

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confidence: 99%

A piece of the puzzle — the role of ethnic health staff in hospitals

Matthews

Whelan²,

Johnson³

et al. 2008

Aust. Health Review

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The role of ethnic health staff in hospitals has not been clearly articulated for managers and practitioners. This paper describes findings from a study based on ethnic and allied health staff interviews and observations of ethnic health staff interactions. Care was provided to language concordant patients directly and by assisting practitioners to work within the patient's cultural paradigms and family schema. The scope of practice involved: engaging patients in a therapeutic relationship, patient assessment, linking assessment with care options, facilitating communication between patients and practitioners, education, smoothing hospital experiences, referral and interpreting. Ethnic health staff displayed a range of specialised skills that managers need to harness within multidisciplinary teams to reach patients from diverse back- AUSTRALIA IS A COUNTRY of great diversity. In 2001 almost 50% of its people were born overseas or had one or both parents born overseas. 1The diversity of language, culture and religion across the country stands in stark contrast to the dominance of Anglo-Celtic traditions in Australian institutions, including health care organisations. Misunderstandings and miscommunication related to this diversity have been found to impede quality of care, such as lack of recognition of the need for particular tests, misdiagnosis, patient misunderstanding of their diagnosis and This study aimed to further understanding of the practice of ethnic health staff, and found that ethnic health staff had a range of specialised skills that were respected by the practitioners they worked with. The ethnic health staff demonstrated dual roles of direct care provider and paraprofessional or communication facilitator, which corroborated previous assessments of the role. What are the implications for practitioners?Health care managers need an understanding of the competencies, skills and expertise of ethnic health staff and to consider their employment in health teams (for example, in diabetes care, maternal and child health, renal, cardiac, or disability services). Ethnic health staff have been shown to be an effective bridge that is, by mediating the patientpractitioner-organisation divide, enhancing patient capacity to negotiate the unfamiliar world of the hospital, informing better case management by exposing practitioners to the patient world view, and providing one-to-one and group education. Australian Health Review May 2008 Vol 32 No 2 237Human Resource Management treatment, ineffective education and poor compliance with treatment, 1-6 increasing costs through lengthened hospital stays and greater reliance on tests.7 Further, ignoring optimal communication with patients who have limited English language proficiency and cultural and religious values that differ from the dominant host society poses serious threats to the provision of culturally safe practice, appropriate health outcomes and patient satisfaction. [8][9][10] In Australia, barriers to care for migrants were formally acknowledged in th...

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Bilingual health communicators:role delineation issues

Abstract: Managers of health care services are seeking new opportunities to improve communication with clients who have limited English proficiency. An increase in bilingual health

Cited by 15 publications

References 19 publications

Representations and coverage of non-English-speaking immigrants and multicultural issues in three major Australian health care publications

Representations and coverage of non-English-speaking immigrants and multicultural issues in three major Australian health care publications

Invisible rights: Barriers and facilitators to access and use of interpreter services in health care settings by Polish migrants in Norway

A piece of the puzzle — the role of ethnic health staff in hospitals

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Bilingual health communicators:role delineation issues

Abstract: Managers of health care services are seeking new opportunities to improve communication with clients who have limited English proficiency. An increase in bilingual health

Cited by 15 publications

References 19 publications

Representations and coverage of non-English-speaking immigrants and multicultural issues in three major Australian health care publications

Representations and coverage of non-English-speaking immigrants and multicultural issues in three major Australian health care publications

Invisible rights: Barriers and facilitators to access and use of interpreter services in health care settings by Polish migrants in Norway

A piece of the puzzle &mdash; the role of ethnic health staff in hospitals

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A piece of the puzzle — the role of ethnic health staff in hospitals