Language barriers and the use of interpreters in the public health services. A questionnaire-based survey.
OBJECTIVE
This study aims to examine cross-cultural communication in health-care settings, which has implications for equal access to health services. We studied how often health-care workers experience a need for language assistance, what they do in such situations, what expectations they have of the interpreters and their evaluation of competency needs.


METHODS
A quantitative cross-sectional design using a structured questionnaire was used. The participants were health-care providers in Oslo, and the survey was conducted 2004-2005.


RESULTS
The response rate was 35.1%. The largest category of participants (51.1%) consisted of nurses, followed by the second largest category (26.6%) of 120 physicians. Our results suggested an underutilization of interpreter services in the public health-care system.


CONCLUSIONS
The use of interpreter services seems to be sporadic and dependent on the individual health-care practitioner's own initiative and knowledge. Many survey participants expressed dissatisfaction with both their own methods of working with interpreters and with the interpreter's qualifications.


CONCLUSIONS
A key area for further improvement is the process of raising awareness among health-care providers and institutions regarding the legal responsibility they have to ensure the sufficient level of communication with their patients/clients.
Kale
Emine
E
National Center for Minority Health Research NAKMI, Oslo University Hospital, Ullevaal, Oslo, Norway. emine.kale@nakmi.no
Syed
Hammad Raza
HR
D000488:Allied Health Personnel; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003144:Communication Barriers; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003466:Cultural Characteristics; D058005:General Practitioners; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D054625:Healthcare Disparities; D006801:Humans; D007802:Language; D009664:Norway; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014175:Translating