The need for language and cultural awareness in clinical and public health care facilities

Abstract

In this study the author focuses on the cultural and linguistic barriers encountered by both physicians and patients in the medical process. In order to properly diagnose and treat multi-ethnic individuals, doctors must either have a powerful cross-cultural experience and certain linguistic skills, or benefit from the services provided by trained medical interpreters or by state-of-the-art-technologies that are meant to facilitate intercultural communication. The paper also underlines the dangers of using ad-hoc interpreters, who might put at risk the lives of many people as well as the carriers of health care practitioners.

Keywords

• culture
• linguistic barriers
• training
• communication
• health care facilities.