According to the National Patients’ Rights Charter, every patient has the right to health information in their language of choice (Western Cape Government, 2015). Working as a health practitioner at a clinic that consists of predominantly Xhosa speaking people is very challenging. Some of the patients can speak English very well, where others can only speak a few phrases, and then there are other patients who do not understand or speak it at all. One day I was seeing an old lady that does not speak or understand any English. Her daughter was with her for the session and translated between the patient and I. There were instances where I would tell the daughter something and she would not translate it back to her mother, and I would have to tell her to tell her mother. I could see she did not translate what I said exactly to her mother. She would leave some things out to make it easier for herself.

As the session continued, I would ask the daughter to help me with Xhosa words and I would ask it to the patient. As I tried to accommodate them by learning some Xhosa words, I could see the mother (the patient), as well as the daughter, light up and smile, and interact more in the session. This encounter made me realize the power it holds to communicate with a patient in a language they prefer and understand, even just the basic words. By doing this, the patient feels that you are trying and you feel more connected to the patient, than to make use of a translator the entire time. On the other hand, it also made me realize the importance of getting a translator even for the patients that speaks some English, to help the patient express themselves better, and for me as the health care worker to provide a better service to the patient.

It is important for patients to be assessed and treated in a language they understand and speak, to get the best service possible. Negative consequences may result from inadequate communication between a health professional and the patient, including misunderstandings of potential health risks, medically significant communication errors, and increased psychological stress (Meuter, Gallois, Segalowitz, Ryder, & Hocking, 2015). When a patient is not able to speak a language that their health practitioner understands, it prevents the patient from disclosing their limitations. Another problem is when a patient does not understand their plan of care, which results in them not complying with the instructions given, and therefore they suffer more unnecessary complications that could have been prevented if they understood what was being explained to them (Trembeck & Dreger, 2002).

As mentioned above, a patient has the right to receive health information in the language of their choice (Western Cape Government, 2015).  Therefore, if a patient feels more comfortable with a certain language, the health professional need to make use of a translator or interpreter during the session. It is better to use someone that is part of the health team to be the translator than a family member or a friend. Emotional ties between the patient and their family member or friend can interfere with the interpretation. Furthermore, the family member or friend may not have the knowledge of medical terminology to convey the correct information about medical terms. Finally, if the patient feels forced to accept the family member or friend as an interpreter, their right to confidentiality and privacy might be breached (Kale & Syed, 2010).

After working in a predominately Xhosa speaking health facility, I have realized the importance of communicating with your patient in a language they understand and feel comfortable with. It is important to understand the role language plays in creating barriers in health care provision. Therefore, it is important for health care providers to make use of an interpreter which is part of the health care team, or learn the basics of a language which is most popular in that area to make the patient feel most comfortable. This will help the patient to convey important information sufficiently and aid in the treatment of the patient. Our curriculum at University of the Western Cape can aid in this by adding Xhosa as a module, which will help the students feel more comfortable to convey information to the patients.

References

Kale, E., & Syed, H. (2010). Language barriers and the use of interpreters in the public health services.A questionnaire-based survey. Patient Education and Counseling, 187-191.

Meuter, R. F., Gallois, C., Segalowitz, N. S., Ryder, A. G., & Hocking, J. (2015). Overcoming language barriers in healthcare:A protocol for investigating safe and effectivecommunication when patients or clinicians use asecond language. Meuteret al. BMC Health Services Research, 1-5.

Trembeck, T., & Dreger, V. (2002). Optimize Patient Health by Treating Literacy and Language Barriers. AORN Journal, 75(2), 278-293.

Western Cape Government. (2015, January 23). Here’s What You Need to Know About the Patients’ Rights Charter. Retrieved from Western Cape Government: https://www.westerncape.gov.za/general-publication/heres-what-you-need-know-about-patients%E2%80%99-rights-charter