Mitigating language and cultural barriers in healthcare communication: Toward a holistic approach

Schouten, Barbara C.; Cox, Antoon; Duran, G.; Kerremans, Koen; Banning, Leyla Köseoğlu; Lahdidioui, Ali; Muijsenbergh, Maria van den; Schinkel, Sonja; Sungur, Hande; Suurmond, Jeanine; Zendedel, Rena; Krystallidou, Demi

doi:10.1016/j.pec.2020.05.001

Cited by 40 publications

(33 citation statements)

References 32 publications

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“…Three barriers prove particularly challenging: (1) language differences and illiteracy, (2) limited access to traditional information sources, and (3) mistrust in the health system. 1 Overcoming these obstacles requires systemic change. Existing health communications literature points to a promising first step, one that has been adopted ad hoc by academic medical centers and grassroots organizations alike in response to COVID-19—the use of art to convey health information.…”

Section: To the Editormentioning

confidence: 99%

Communicating About COVID-19 Through Art: Paving the Way for Inclusion

Kragel

Beyer

2021

Academic Medicine

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Section: To the Editormentioning

confidence: 99%

Communicating About COVID-19 Through Art: Paving the Way for Inclusion

Kragel

Beyer

2021

Academic Medicine

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“…A broad body of literature on intercultural health communication with culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) i people identifies challenges and their consequences for refugee and migrant health, including language and cultural differences that impede access to health services (Paternotte, van Dulmen, van der Lee, Scherpbier, & Scheele, 2015;Schouten & Meeuwesen, 2006). Much of the knowledge about effective intercultural health communication comes from healthcare settings in which the focus is on interactions between clinicians and patients (Schouten et al, 2020;Woodward-Kron & Story, 2020) rather than from public health communication or communication about a public health crisis such as a pandemic. Effective strategies such as digital translation tools and multilingual e-Health applications to mitigate language discordance or a family-centred communication approach to address cultural preferences in healthcare (Schouten et al, 2020) may not be transferable to, or be effective in public health settings.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Much of the knowledge about effective intercultural health communication comes from healthcare settings in which the focus is on interactions between clinicians and patients (Schouten et al, 2020;Woodward-Kron & Story, 2020) rather than from public health communication or communication about a public health crisis such as a pandemic. Effective strategies such as digital translation tools and multilingual e-Health applications to mitigate language discordance or a family-centred communication approach to address cultural preferences in healthcare (Schouten et al, 2020) may not be transferable to, or be effective in public health settings. Strategies that adopt an inclusive approach drawing on the linguistic resources and cultural knowledge of intermediaries such as family members, interpreters, and language concordant healthcare workers may hold promise for effective public health communication and messaging for CALD communities.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Enhancing COVID-19 public health communication for culturally and linguistically diverse communities: An Australian interview study with community representatives

Karidakis

Woodward‐Kron

Amorati

et al. 2022

QHC

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Background: Public health crises present challenges for providing accessible, timely, and accurate health information to culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities. Aim: The aim of this qualitative project was to explore strategies used by CALD community organizations to improve communication about COVID-19 for their communities; we also aimed to identify gaps and challenges. Methods: We interviewed 16 representatives from Greek, Italian, and Chinese CALD organizations in Melbourne, Australia. The interviews were analyzed thematically. Results: Community leaders played a significant role in engaging their community members with accurate key health information. There were differences between language communities about preferred channels for receiving information. As the pandemic intensified, there was a shift from written communication to more interactive exchanges between authorities and community leaders. Discussion: The findings suggest effective public health communication is enhanced by the mediation and outreach strategies adopted by CALD community organizations; further, stakeholders need to be cognizant of heterogeneity of needs and preferences. This may optimize information dissemination to meet specific needs. Conclusions:The CALD organizations have developed communication strategies involving different kinds of mediation to reach specific sub-groups, especially the most vulnerable. These strategies can inform future public health engagement.

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“…Consequently, offering equal access regardless of cultural or ethnic background through the development of competence and work routines in healthcare services has become more urgent (Napier et al, 2014; Rechel et al, 2013; Schouten et al, 2020; Shepherd et al, 2019; Thomas, 2020). Cultural competence in health care can be defined as the ability of systems to provide care for patients with diverse values, beliefs, and behaviors, including tailoring delivery to meet patients’ social, cultural, and linguistic needs (Betancourt et al, 2005; Jongen et al, 2018).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Healthcare professionals’ encounters with ethnic minority patients: The critical incident approach

Kartzow

Fougner

2021

Nursing Inquiry

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Ethnic minority patients face challenges concerning communication and are at higher risk of experiencing health problems and consuming fewer healthcare services. They are also exposed to disparaging societal discourses about migrants which might undermine healthcare institutions’ ambitions of equitable health care. Therefore, healthcare professionals need to critically reflect on their practices and processes related to ethnic minority patients. The aim of this article is to explore healthcare professionals’ experiences of working with ethnic minority patients by using the critical incident (CI) technique. In two focus group sessions, participants discussed challenging events in their encounters with patients. The critical incidents show that healthcare professionals may experience unfamiliar situations related to their work performance, prejudice toward patients, and labeling by patients the professionals do not identify with. The professionals’ reflections are discussed in relation to social discourses on migration and their work conditions, and the possible influence on the professionals’ preconceptions and the patient–professional relationship in health care. Reflections about work experiences with ethnic minority patients and aligned societal discourses should be included in healthcare workers’ professional development. Critical incident reflections at work may contribute to better‐coping strategies for healthcare professionals and improved patient–professional relationships with ethnic minority patients.

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Mitigating language and cultural barriers in healthcare communication: Toward a holistic approach

Cited by 40 publications

References 32 publications

Communicating About COVID-19 Through Art: Paving the Way for Inclusion

Communicating About COVID-19 Through Art: Paving the Way for Inclusion

Enhancing COVID-19 public health communication for culturally and linguistically diverse communities: An Australian interview study with community representatives

Healthcare professionals’ encounters with ethnic minority patients: The critical incident approach

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