Language at the workplace

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Language at the workplace

Executive summary

Doctors and other healthcare professionals and health workers usually experience language issues while executing their workplace tasks. There are usually language barriers, whether their clients fail to understand the language in being practiced or spoken in the workplace in a field where there are no native speakers. Effective communication is the marker of quality and standard healthcare services that are provided to the patients. Good communication between the patient and the healthcare provider creates a platform for gathering information for the diagnosis, ensuring understanding, enabling joint decision making, and explaining the treatment procedures to be prescribed to the client. However, medical mishaps, which deadly consequences accompany some, usually occur in the healthcare field because of poor communications (Makovhololo, 2020). The issues occur in a much broader scope than the transmission of information or exchange of data. The risk of poor communication and understanding failure is evident when the healthcare provider and his client fails to speak the same language.

Healthcare environments comprise unique cultures and utilize language in ways that may seem unfamiliar to the average visitors. Millions of American citizens usually face the problem of acting and understanding health information. The issue applies even to individuals who may not have problems with the language barrier. The American Institute of medicine stated that university and college graduates, as well as professionals such as engineers and teachers, are categorized in the group with difficulties of comprehending specific health information. Understanding health data requires more writing and reading skills. Health literacy comprises speaking, listening, and conceptual knowledge that enables one to understand health interactions, instructions, and forms. The language issue becomes complicated since the skills required to comprehend health-related information exceeds ordinary people’s ability. The attention needed to be delivered to the patients to discern the meaning of their provided information during health encounters is also impossible to deliver.

Importance of language in the healthcare organization

Speaking a common language that can be understood by both the patient and healthcare provider is crucial in ensuring effective communication and understanding. According to the joint commission, healthcare facilities, and the accrediting organization for hospitals, the high rate of medication misunderstandings is unacceptable since it endangers the patient’s life. Learning a common language is crucial for the economic success and integration of new arrivals and, by extension, medically beneficial to the host communities. Effective communication ensures that the doctor conducts effective diagnosis for the patient. The client receives the appropriate medication and treatment strategies based on evidence-based practice. Understanding among the patient and the doctor ensures that the healthcare organizations meet its goals of providing quality and standard healthcare services. Effective communication with the minority groups speaking different languages comprises more than a mere language concordance. It assists physicians to avoid or limit the possibilities of making mistakes while diagnosing and treating patients.

Stakeholders involved in the issue

The stakeholders involved in the issue of language in the workplace are both federal and state medical agencies. They should understand that lack of a common language in the medical field poses many challenges in achieving high satisfaction levels among medical professionals and patients. The health department in both governments should deliver education to all American citizens on the type of language and information they should expect to receive when they visit health care facilities. All the medical staff that includes the physicians, doctors, nurses, and care providers, are also categorized as critical stakeholders in this issue. They should be trained on the best and simple language they can utilize while attending to their patients. Healthcare training institutions are additional stakeholders. They should offer efficient training to the medical students on the best strategies to utilize when communicating with their clients. Medical organizations should offer interpreter services to improve healthcare access, communication, and patient satisfaction (Fatahi, 2019). The government should increase its investment in healthcare services to improve patient communication levels in hospitals. The stakeholders play a crucial role in ensuring that the medication and treatment approaches delivered to the patient are of standard and high quality despite the existing language issues.

Role of the stakeholders

The healthcare organization’s executives have effectively made communication to be part of the organization’s culture. The executives usually explain to the employees and medical staff the importance of using functional language during communication. They model positive communication norms and develop them to be one integral part of the workplace culture. The state and federal governments have initiated projects focusing on implementing patient satisfaction surveys. They communicate through the respective medical departments on the patient feedback on their understanding and communication in the hospitals. The feedback obtained from the patient provides the medical government medical departments with insight on how they can improve the patient facility experience. The feedback assists healthcare organizations in determining the patient’s complaints, concerns, and questions. The survey sheds light on what the medical field is not doing right in terms of communication language. The medical and nursing training institutions play a crucial role in developing and improving the medical students’ communication and learning skills preparing for professional practice. They also create a platform for the students to share their ideas and thoughts to improve their group settings. Group work promotes the open exchange of information and collaboration among the students. The government plays a crucial role in enacting the appropriate technology to ensure effective communication in hospitals. The technology comprises patient information systems that include electronic health records. Effective language communication starts from the ground, and it is empowered by practitioners who lead by example. Building a foundation for meaningful communication at all levels is essential in providing quality health and patient care.

Legal risks and malpractice issues

Malpractice suits may occur when the physician fails to communicate effectively with the patient due to the language barrier. There may be the delivery of delayed, incorrect, and improper medical care, potentially leading to costly and time-consuming medical practice lawsuits. Without interpreters, doctors may fail to order for the necessary diagnostic tests. Lack of informed consent may lead to the physicians being vulnerable; this is when their communication prevents them from attaining efficient and effective consent. The physicians have to warn their clients of the specific risks associated with the individual prescription of medication, reasons for the medication, and no provided treatment. Following several doctrines, pharmaceutical organizations fulfill their obligations f warning the patients. This is by telling the physicians of the acknowledged risks of prescription medications and treatment approaches. The physicians must relate the information to the patients, make them aware of the possible risks, and prescribed the appropriate dose and type of drug. The treatment approach should be based on patient assessment and evidence-based practice. If there is a language barrier preventing the doctor from ensuring that the patient can understand the risks and warning of medication, the doctors in charge are responsible and liable in the tort of breaching the duty to warn.

analysis

Healthcare providers require effective communication between them and their clients. The communication should involve speaking of a language that both parties understand. There should be effective communication between the management and the staff workers in the health facility or organization. Effective communication is required since it facilitates the discussion of procedures, patient needs, and pertinent information regarding patient information and history. Medical professionals, such as nurses and doctors, should be provided with sufficient training and education on the most crucial communication skills. They require being equipped with adequate knowledge of the language spoken by the majority of their patients.

According to the civil right act of 1964, the federal government does not support healthcare providers who discriminate against their clients based on color, race, and national origin during communication (Squires, 2018). Even if there is a language barrier, the care provider should look for possible strategies for diagnosing the patient. In the year 2000, the American president William j. Clinton issued an order of improving services for individuals with limited English proficiency. The HHS Office for the minority health promulgated the standards for linguistically as well as culturally appropriate services in the healthcare sector.

Value conflicts may arise among the stakeholders due to ethical and financial implications that face the healthcare setting. The different perspectives between the management as well as the senior executives and other professional staff who include physicians, doctors, and nurses may also lead to conflicts (Van den Berg, 2016). There are also soliciting disagreements in and lack of relationships among the key stakeholders. It is hard to identify issues at an early stage in healthcare settings, making the sector more vulnerable to conflicts.

Malpractice suits may occur when the physician fails to communicate effectively with the patient due to the language barrier. Without interpreters, doctors may fail to order for the necessary diagnostic tests. Lack of informed consent may lead to the physicians being vulnerable; this is when their communication prevents them from attaining efficient and effective consent. There is also defamation and breaching of patient’s information because of ineffective communication and language barriers.

Recommendations

There should be a shared understanding as to the basis of effective communication in healthcare settings. Health communication can be useful when acknowledging the excellent potential for poor communication and a greater extent of immigrant populations. Healthcare communications should be similar to the foreign language exchanges that demand proactive attention to using the language. The recommendation covers all the potential cross-cultural biases related to the word choices and concepts, any needed background, and proactive implementation of standards for frequent encounter referent terms. The standards are effective in promoting consistent and routine utilization of simplified descriptions and explanations. There should be the inclusion of routine practices such as teach-back strategies to verify the patient’s understanding and confirmation of meaning. Interpreters should be hired in healthcare organizations to offer explanations whenever there is a language barrier. Technology should be utilized to ensure effective communication through automated software.

Potential risks can be resolved by implementing laws and policies focusing on all the stakeholders’ roles and powers. There should be equal sharing of power among the stakeholders; issues should be detected early to ensure that they do not develop to be more severe (Jaeger et al., 2019). The key stakeholders can improve the healthcare decision outcome by advocating for implementing modern and quality technology while resolving the issue. To improve pollution health outcomes, the executives should consider the inclusion of routine practices such as teach-back strategies to verify the patient’s understanding and confirmation of meaning. Interpreters should be hired in healthcare organizations to offer explanations whenever there is a language barrier.

References

Jaeger, F. N., Pellaud, N., Laville, B., & Klauser, P. (2019). The migration-related language barrier and professional interpreter use in primary health care in Switzerland. BMC health services research, 19(1), 429.

Van den Berg, V. L. (2016). Still lost in translation: language barriers in South African health care remain. South African Family Practice, 58(6), 229-231.

Squires, A. (2018). Strategies for overcoming language barriers in healthcare. Nursing Management, 49(4), 20-27.

Makovhololo, P., & Iyamu, T. (2020). A Framework to Guide ICT Solution for Language Barrier in South African Healthcare. Journal of Cases on Information Technology (JCIT), 22(2), 1-17.

Fatahi, N., & Krupic, F. (2016). Factors beyond the language barrier in providing health care to immigrant patients. Medical Archives, 70(1), 61.

Recommendations

There should be a shared understanding as to the basis of effective communication in healthcare settings. Health communication can be useful when acknowledging the excellent potential for poor communication and a greater extent of immigrant populations. Healthcare communications should be similar to the foreign language exchanges that demand proactive attention to using the language (Van den Berg, 2016). The recommendation covers all the potential cross-cultural biases related to the word choices and concepts, any needed background, and proactive implementation of standards for frequent encounter referent terms. The standards are effective in promoting consistent and routine utilization of simplified descriptions and explanations. There should be the inclusion of routine practices such as teach-back strategies to verify the patient’s understanding and confirmation of meaning (Squires, 2018). Interpreters should be hired in healthcare organizations to offer explanations whenever there is a language barrier. Technology should be utilized to ensure effective communication through automated software.

Potential risks can be resolved by implementing laws and policies focusing on all the stakeholders’ roles and powers. There should be equal sharing of power among the stakeholders; issues should be detected early to ensure that they do not develop to be more severe (Jaeger et al., 2019). The key stakeholders can improve the healthcare decision outcome by advocating for implementing modern and quality technology while resolving the issue. To improve pollution health outcomes, the executives should consider the inclusion of routine practices such as teach-back strategies to verify the patient’s understanding and confirmation of meaning. Interpreters should be hired in healthcare organizations to offer explanations whenever there is a language barrier.

References

Jaeger, F. N., Pellaud, N., Laville, B., & Klauser, P. (2019). The migration-related language barrier and professional interpreter use in primary health care in Switzerland. BMC health services research, 19(1), 429.

Van den Berg, V. L. (2016). Still lost in translation: language barriers in South African health care remain. South African Family Practice, 58(6), 229-231.

Squires, A. (2018). Strategies for overcoming language barriers in healthcare. Nursing Management, 49(4), 20-27.

Analysis

Healthcare providers require effective communication between them and their clients. The communication should involve speaking of a language that both parties understand. There should be effective communication between the management and the staff workers in the health facility or organization. Effective communication is required since it facilitates the discussion of procedures, patient needs, and pertinent information regarding patient information and history. Medical professionals, such as nurses and doctors, should be provided with sufficient training and education on the most crucial communication skills. They require being equipped with adequate knowledge of the language spoken by the majority of their patients.

According to the civil right act of 1964, the federal government does not support healthcare providers who discriminate against their clients based on color, race, and national origin during communication (Squires, 2018). Even if there is a language barrier, the care provider should look for possible strategies for diagnosing the patient. In the year 2000, the American president William j. Clinton issued an order of improving services for individuals with limited English proficiency. The HHS Office for the minority health promulgated the standards for linguistically as well as culturally appropriate services in the healthcare sector.

Value conflicts may arise among the stakeholders due to ethical and financial implications that face the healthcare setting. The different perspectives between the management as well as the senior executives and other professional staff who include physicians, doctors, and nurses may also lead to conflicts (Van den Berg, 2016). There are also soliciting disagreements in and lack of relationships among the key stakeholders. It is hard to identify issues at an early stage in healthcare settings, making the sector more vulnerable to conflicts.

Malpractice suits may occur when the physician fails to communicate effectively with the patient due to the language barrier. Without interpreters, doctors may fail to order for the necessary diagnostic tests. Lack of informed consent may lead to the physicians being vulnerable; this is when their communication prevents them from attaining efficient and effective consent. There is also defamation and breaching of patient’s information because of ineffective communication and language barriers.

References

Squires, A. (2018). Strategies for overcoming language barriers in healthcare. Nursing Management, 49(4), 20-27.

Makovhololo, P., & Iyamu, T. (2020). A Framework to Guide ICT Solution for Language Barrier in South African Healthcare. Journal of Cases on Information Technology (JCIT), 22(2), 1-17.

Fatahi, N., & Krupic, F. (2016). Factors beyond the language barrier in providing health care to immigrant patients. Medical Archives, 70(1), 61.