title: Reconceptulizing Language Discordance: Meanings and Experiences of Language Barriers in the U.S. and Taiwan.
abstract: Individuals with language barriers may face challenges unique to a host society. By examining and comparing the sociocultural conditions that can result in providers and patients not sharing the same language in the United States and in Taiwan, I argue that (a) language discordance is a social phenomenon that may entail diverging meanings and experiences in different countries; (b) language-discordant patients may not share similar experiences even if they are in the same country; and (c) disparities in language concordance may be confounded with other disparities and cultural particulars that are unique to a host society. In addition, because English is a dominant language in medicine, language-discordant patients' quality of care in Taiwan can be moderated by their fluency in English.
authors.affiliation: Department of Communication, University of Oklahoma, 610 Elm Ave #101, Norman, OK, 73019, USA. ehsieh@ou.edu.
authors.forename: Elaine
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-1993-4976
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hsieh
mesh_terms: D003144:Communication Barriers; D065246:Culturally Competent Care; D003695:Delivery of Health Care; D006801:Humans; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D013624:Taiwan; D014481:United States
keywords: Cross-cultural care; Language discordance; Medical English