[The monolingual Sámi population is less satisfied with the primary health care].
BACKGROUND
The purpose of this study was to describe patient satisfaction in general practice among the Sámi monolingual population, as compared with the Norwegian population.


METHODS
The data was collected in 2002-2004 through a health survey in communities with Sámi and Norwegian population, SAMINOR. The analyses included 15,612 men and women between 36 and 79 years, with a response rate of 60.1%. The questionnaire included questions about patients' satisfaction with primary care and what language they spoke at home.


RESULTS
The monolingual Sámi population was less satisfied with the primary health care than the Norwegian population, RR 2.4 (95% CI 2.1-2.7) and also less satisfied with the physicians' language skills, RR 5.8 (95% CI 4.8-7.0). Frequent misunderstandings between the physician and the patient based on language difficulty were also reported, RR 3.8 (95% CI 3.3-4.3). In addition, approximately one third of the Sámi did not want to have an interpreter in on the consultation.


CONCLUSIONS
These results indicated that physicians' knowledge of the Sámi language is important for patient satisfaction in this region.
Senter for samisk helseforskning, Institutt for samfunnsmedisin, Universitetet i Tromsø, 9037 Tromsø. tove.nystad@ism.uit.no
Tove
T
Nystad
Marita
M
Melhus
Eiliv
E
Lund
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003142:Communication; D005194:Family Practice; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007802:Language; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009664:Norway / Q000208:ethnology; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014175:Translating