Staying ahead of the demographic curve: Strategies and resources for cross-language clinical communication

Communication is crucial to occupational therapy. Occupational therapists must communicate with patients to evaluate, treat, collaborate and educate. In the United States and in Europe, linguistic diversity is steadily... [ view full abstract ]

Communication is crucial to occupational therapy. Occupational therapists must communicate with patients to evaluate, treat, collaborate and educate. In the United States and in Europe, linguistic diversity is steadily increasing due to an influx of immigrants and refugees in recent years. Lack of language accessibility contributes to notable health inequities, including reduced healthcare utilization, decreased compliance with treatment, and lower patient satisfaction (Jacobs et al., 2003; Jacobs et al., 2006; Karliner et al., 2007). Utilizing trained interpreters is one way occupational therapists can better communicate with clients across diverse languages and cultures. However, cross-language communication and collaboration with interpreters are nuanced skills that are seldom addressed in occupational therapy curricula (Lindsay et al., 2012).
In order to dissect the critical aspects of cross-language clinical intervention, the authors conducted a qualitative research study of interpreter-mediated mental health encounters. Researchers observed and analyzed eight substance use counseling sessions with Arabic or Nepali-speaking refugee men. Following each session, researchers conducted individual interviews with the client, clinician and interpreter to further examine key communication experiences during the encounter. Researchers conducted qualitative thematic analysis of session videos and interview transcripts to identify communication barriers, facilitators of successful communication, and strategies for improving clinical communication.
This workshop will include presentation of research findings and recommendations, followed by interactive discussion of video case studies of cross-language clinical encounters. Objectives include: (1) Identifying common communication errors during cross-language clinical encounters and (2) Describing practical strategies to preempt communication breakdown when working with language interpreters.