Language barriers and patient safety risks in hospital care. A mixed methods study

Abstract

The present study showed a wide variety of risky situations in hospital care for patients with language barriers. These risks can be reduced by adequately bridging the language barrier, which, in the first place, demands adequate detecting and reporting of a language barrier. This is currently not sufficiently done in most Dutch hospitals. Moreover, new solutions to bridge language barriers are needed for situations such as routine safety checks performed by nurses, in which a professional or even informal interpreter is not feasible.

Patient safety in marginalised groups: a narrative scoping review

“…All included studies were published between 2002 and July 2019. We identified 8 reviews [29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36] and 59 empirical studies [8,. The vast majority of these studies were conducted in high income countries (82%), used a mixture of methods (predominantly quantitative (66%)) and were conducted across multiple settings, with the majority (49%) in secondary care settings.…”

“…Finally, at the micro-level, marginalised people may experience barriers to communication regarding their health care needs and treatment due to impairment or personal context (e.g. language barriers or sensory, learning or age related disability) [8,9] or as a consequence of perceived [10] or actual stigma enacted (e.g. labelling of some homeless patients as 'difficult' leading to barriers in accessing care) [3,11].…”

Language barriers and their impact on provision of care to patients with limited English proficiency: Nurses' perspectives

“…Use of professional (may or may not be medically trained) interpreters is one way of minimising the impact of language barriers (Flores, ), though, risk of communication errors and difficulties in establishing rapport limit the effectiveness of these services (Cioffi, ; Richardson et al., ). Communication via interpreter—regardless of their interpreting skill—can never be as satisfying as direct communication (Eamranond, Davis, Phillips, & Wee, ) and may not minimise patient safety risks (van Rosse, de Bruijne, Suurmond, Essink‐Bot, & Wagner, ). In addition, use of interpreters and translators can be prohibitively expensive.…”

Cultural immersion through international experiences among Japanese nurses: Present status, future intentions, and perceived barriers

“…In a previous study (Kawashima, ), the ability to speak a foreign language was found to be a significant factor affecting the cultural competence of Japanese nurses, and their poor English abilities were considered to negatively impact culturally sensitive care in Japan. Patients with language barriers have been suggested to be at risk regarding safety and quality of care (van Rosse, de Bruijne, Suurmond, Essink‐Bot, & Wagner, ). In such an environment, CALD patients who require health care in Japan may suffer.…”