Introduction
Problem definition
Language barrier is a critical issue in the field of heath care. It is a roadblock to the access of quality health care services. Patients who cannot speak or understand the same language as the health care providers have a challenge when they are accessing the services. They may not understand the prescription given by the doctors. They may not use the drugs properly and as required by the standardized drug and substance abuse policies. The patients may not even be able to explain the problems they face to the health care providers. When patients seek medical attention from health centers and they cannot understand each other with the health care workers, it becomes hard for them to get assistance. The doctors also may not be in a position to understand what the patient says especially if the patient uses their native language when expressing their problems. In case the two cannot understand each other, it becomes a problem to prescribe the appropriate drugs for the patient. In other cases based on the inadequate or wrong information from the patient, the doctor may prescribe wrong doses. The doses may endanger the health status of the drug user.
Therefore, language in healthcare is a critical issue which comes with negative impact to the health of the patients. The health care stakeholders should give strategies of addressing the issue where language barrier is dominant. This is seen especially in the scenarios when majority of the people are visitors in particular areas or countries. Such people cannot understand the native language of the people of such nations. It becomes a problem thus when it comes to seeking health care services(Thierer,2010). In America for example, it is estimated that the number of those who face the problem of language barrier is four million. These people cannot access health care services appropriately. They are not the natives of America, and English language being dominant, has become a barrier to achieving quality health services.
The main objective of the research was to strategically build an effective, efficient and qualified work force in health care services. It targeted to achieve a vast number of effective language users in the health care services. Health care providers and patients have been having a problem and it’s thus important that an effective language use is developed. Thus the purpose of the research was to build an efficient and effective language in the field of health.
Purpose of the study
It has been noted that in health care centers and services that language services have been frequently provided by clinical providers who are self-declared. Other health language providers in the field have been ad hoc interpreters. These ad hoc interpreters include family members, untrained health staff, friends. The health care staffs who have frequently interpreted the health care language lack the basic training in health care language provision. They have neither been trained nor assessed in the health care language. It was noted through the research that language barrier had increased. Furthermore, use of unqualified individuals has resulted in rapid and unwelcomed medical errors, ineffective patient-clinical provider communication. It has also resulted in poorer adherence and follow-up to clinical instructions. The major impact of use of unqualified staff which has recently been reported is the germination of conflicts with patients’ privacy rights. It is thus very critical to have readily accessible, qualified language services workforce. This will ensure the problems noted through use of unqualified health language providers are also dealt with. It also ensures effective and efficient health services as well as high-quality health programs.
The main question by the research is: what is the relationship between the ineffective use of language and the quality of services provided? This question is important and addresses the issue at hand clearly. Its relationship to the problem is clearly outlined. This is because there is tight relationship between the ineffective language use and the poor health care services. The question thus is reflective to the problems and the expected results of the study. If this question was not stated, then it could be crucial to state a question such as: What is the impact of language barrier on health care services and quality of the health services or the entire health service program? The question could fit the health care in that it clearly shows the relationship between the language barrier in health care and the outcome from such language barrier in the field of health. Optimistically, the question could lead to achieving of the main objective of the study. Studies have shown that language barrier is critical when it comes to provision of quality health services. For quality health services to be provider, both the provider and the consumer or user of health care services should clearly understand each other. However, in the recent past, it has been noted that language barrier has become the main contributor of poor quality health services. The question thus is very important when addressing such a problem.
Hypotheses
It was hypothesized that there is significant relationship between the language barrier and the quality of services provided. It was also hypothesized that there is ineffective and inefficient use of health services with regard to the language barrier. It is important that language be upheld in the field of health for efficient and effective health care services. Hospitals and health clinics are unique in resources and patients. They must therefore consider their services provision as the first priority if quality health services provision is desired. In most cases, hospitals and health care centers do not take precautions when dealing with language barriers. It was thus imperative for the research study to hypothesize that language barrier is directly proportional to the quality of health care services. If these hypotheses were not stated then hypotheses which could be stated could include: There is significant impact of the language barrier in quality service delivery. Another hypothesis could be, there is a vast impact of language barrier on access of quality health services. Stating the hypotheses is very crucial in research studies as they give a direction on the expected outcomes. The researcher can have a clear direction and methods to apply when dealing with research problems. In other words, the research is a key to achieving the set objectives and goals of a research study.
Study variables
The research adopted both dependent and independent variables. The dependent variable was considered to be quality of health services. On the other hand, independent variables included the health care workers, patients, interpreters of health language such the family members who include parents, relatives and even patient’s spouses. Other independent variables included the self-proclaimed clinical officers who interpreted the health care language even though they were not trained on the health care language. The dependent variable was seen as very important when it comes to dealing with quality of health services. The health services are affected by poor or inappropriate language barrier among the health care participants. When all the participants in the health care have language barrier, this is replicated by the outcome of the poor health services. When patients do not understand the language, the health care providers are giving, it is seen when the errors in medical administration come out. Out of the ignorance of the patient on the language used by the medical officers, they may end up under dosing or over dosing the drugs. The research outlined the interdependency relationship among these variables. The variables were chosen because they were measurable and thus could give unbiased results. They could give clear results which was the target of the research.
Conceptual and theoretical framework
In the conceptual framework, the researcher uses the variables to demonstrate the relationship among these variables. It was seen that independent variables have clear and outlined effects on the dependent variables. These variables could comparatively influence the outcome. When the researcher presented the outcomes, it was clear that the independent variables had influenced the dependent variables. However, at other circumstances, the independent variables have intertwined relationships among themselves. When the health language is improved among these variables, it is seen that the results are positive. The results could be effective and efficient health care, minimal medical errors and even the efficient delivery and prescription of drugs.
Theoretical framework
The theory adopted by the research was the health care efficiency and cost benefit theory. The theory states that availability of funds is a key to accessing efficient medical services. It states that when people do not have money they tend to have poor access of medical services. Governments also do not provide quality health services when it has insufficient funds. The theory was postulated in time immemorial and had been and continues to be applicable in the current society. The theory is significant to the study as it is geared towards understanding the relationship between the medical services and the financial statuses and abilities. The significance is also outline as the theory is related to the subject of study. The researcher drew a relationship between the quality of services and the language barrier. The theory therefore, assisted the researcher in achieving the desired outcomes(Corcoran, 2007).
Literature review
The literature reviewed by the researcher was significant in the study. It provided further knowledge on the problem and how other scholars have dealt with in the past. Through the literature review the researchers could know what has already been presented. The researchers looked at the American health data records since 2007 through tracking household survey. Through the literature review of the information concerning the health across different times, the researcher thus obtained knowledge concerning the health care of individuals, how they have been obtaining information concerning health and what factors that hinders them from accessing quality health.
The study design
The study was conducted in Philadelphia VA Medical Center and the University of Pennsylvania. The study took three months for both primary and secondary data to be collected. The researchers thus took another one week to analyze and present data clearly. The respondents were randomly selected. Fisher’s method was adopted as sampling technique to arrive at the respondents to be interviewed. A total of 18,000 respondents were selected and the researchers had 95% level of confidents that the results could be well represented by this sample.
Data collection methods
The data that were used were both primary and secondary. Primary data were collected from individually sampled health institution and patients by use of questionnaires and interviews. The questionnaires were administered to sampled health workers and patients. Questions asked were both structured and unstructured. This was to enable the respondents’ ability to express their views, ideas and their feelings towards the subject matter. Secondary data were obtained from each institution’s past records by requesting the concerned staff to provide them to the researchers. Oral interviews assisted much as the patients could narrate their past experience with health officers and how they feel, and how they would wish their problems be addressed and solved.
Data analysis methods
The data that was obtained were analyzed using descriptive statistics such as measures of central tendency, standard deviation and regression analysis. The number of patients who were affected by language barrier are compared with those who were not affected. Their ages and level of education were tested using regression analysis to determine if they have any relationship with language barrier between health workers and patients(Padilla,2005). The information obtained after analysis were presented in chats, tables, percentages and graphs.
Conclusion
The research was significant in that it clearly outlined the relationship between the language barrier and the quality of health services provided. It however had some weaknesses. The study was conducted only in the hospital and university. The results, therefore, could not reflect the true picture. This is because those who are affected by the language barrier were also found in states and villages. These people could not be represented by the study. Thus the study could be said to have been bias at one point or another.
The research found that there is a strong relationship between the language barrier and the health services. When people do not understand the language used by the health workers, they tend to over dose or under dose the drugs. The research also found that there have been clinical health workers are self- selected and could interpret the medical language inappropriately. This results in medical errors and inappropriate use of drugs. When collecting data from the field the researchers protected the rights and privacy of individuals. Furthermore, the respondents who did not want to be interviewed had the right to deny filling the questionnaire.
The statistical data analyzed showed significant relationship between the language barrier and quality health services. The studies were significant in that the objectives and goals of the study were met. The objectives set prior to the study were matched with results. The questions set were achieved and the results showed that relationship between the variables really exists. The conclusions and the findings are appropriate to the study. They give a blueprint of the strategies to adopt to address the language barrier issue in the health service provision. The information to make decision was available after conducting thorough research on health care problems. If could fit the study properly. It is recommended that the health centers and hospitals employ qualified health language interpreters. This will make the health service to be efficient, effective and eventually promote quality health program.
References
Corcoran, N. (2007). Communicating health: Strategies for health promotion. Los Angeles: SAGE.
Hughes, M. M. (2007). The sexual barrier: Legal, medical, economic, and social aspects of sex discrimination. Washington: Hughes Press.
Padilla, A. M. (2005). Hispanic psychology: Critical issues in theory and research. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications.
Pérez, M. A., & Luquis, R. R. (2008). Cultural competence in health education and health promotion. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Thierer, N. (2010). Medical terminology: Language for healthcare. Boston: McGraw Hill Higher Education.
