A Matter of Interpretation
Dr. Amelia Barwise
authors Cultural Responsiveness Blog
The July edition of the “Cultural Responsiveness” blog by Latinos en Optometry and sponsored by VSP Vision highlights an article written by Amelia K. Barwise, MB, BCh, PhD, Associate Professor of Medicine and Biomedical Ethics at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN.
In her article, Dr. Barwise highlights that language barriers pose considerable challenges for patients when interacting with the health care system. Indeed, studies conducted in hospital intensive care units and other critical care environments have demonstrated that language barriers lead to poorer health outcomes.
“The federal government mandates that patients are entitled to a qualified professional interpreter during health care encounters,” she states. “However, these services are often underused, even in settings where interpreters are easily accessible.”
Many medical offices resort to ad hoc interpretation, enlisting a staff member to assist when a patient’s proficiency in English appears to be limited. That may be acceptable if the ad hoc interpreter is proficient in both languages, but in many instances, ad hoc interpretation falls short of ideal standards. In her article, she provides guidance on how optometrists can enhance care for patients in their community who may face language barriers.
Dr. Barwise’s blog is available on the Latinos en Optometry website at https://latinosenoptometry.org/news/cultural-responsiveness/