Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Patient-Provider Interactions In Health Care: Use Of And Attitudes Towards Multilingual Communications, Kyle Baird, Laura Smith

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Previous research has examined the provider-patient relationship and the effect of different first languages and culture on such relationship (1,2,3). Most studies conducted in the United States have focused primarily on the interactions between English-speaking health care providers and Spanish-speaking patients. Such studies found a relationship between quality of communication and quality of care received by patients, (2,3). When the patient is minimally proficient in English the divide increases and patients receive less information. Similarly, the provider’s proficiency in the patient’s language correlates with the quality of communication and care. The purpose of this study was to investigate a broader …