figures highlight the need for interpreters and translators to assist healthcare providers
in order to deliver effective care. A study by Kaiser Permanente in Los Angeles indi-
cated that Spanish-speaking patients were better able to manage their maladies when
they could see a Spanish-speaking doctor.^63
Unfortunately, in many instances, healthcare workers are forced to rely on a mem-
ber of the patient’s family or a bilingual staff employee to serve as an interpreter, as
was mentioned in Chapter 8. This raises a host of problems relating to privacy and
linguistic issues. In almost any culture, a son would likely find it troubling to have
to translate his mother’s gynecological problems for an attending physician. Likewise,
a daughter would probably be very uncomfortable relaying her father’s request for
Viagra, due to erectile dysfunction difficulties. Also, bilingual staff members may not
be sufficiently skilled in the language or the patient’s dialect. Even a linguistically
proficient translator can encounter difficulties if he or she has not been trained in
medical terminology. To guarantee proficiency, healthcare providers should always
try to use a certified medical interpreter.
The use of professional medical jargon can also complicate healthcare interactions.
For example, telling patients that they haverhinitisrather than hay fever,ageusia
rather than a loss of taste, orhypesthesiarather than a diminished sense of touch
would confuse even native English speakers. Those individuals with only a limited
English capability would almost certainly not understand. Similar words can also
have vastly different meanings in other languages. Imagine an American expatriate
hospitalized in Germany being told it was time for hisdusche(shower) or a FilipinoHealth care
professionals need
special communication
skills when dealing
with diverse cultures.
Courtesy of Robert Fonseca372 CHAPTER 10• Intercultural Communication in Contexts
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