Challenges of Treating a Patient With Limited English Proficiency

Challenges of Treating a Patient with Limited English Proficiency
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Challenges of Treating a Patient with Limited English Proficiency
Language barriers in healthcare settings can exacerbate health inequities and pose significant challenges for clinicians providing care to patients with limited English proficiency (LEP). The case study presented in the article highlights the consequences of inadequate communication due to language barriers, resulting in a delayed diagnosis and worsening health outcomes for the patient. This essay aims to summarize the challenges faced in the case study, discuss the difficulties of treating patients with LEP, explore relevant literature supporting these challenges, and provide recommendations for improving patient-provider communication. The ethical dilemmas and barriers described in the case study will also be examined, emphasizing the importance of addressing these issues to promote equitable healthcare.
Summary of Challenges in the Case Study
In the case study, Dr. J, an emergency department resident physician, encounters a 13-year-old patient, MM, accompanied by her father. MM and her father speak a language or dialect unavailable through the interpreter phone service (Espinoza & Derrington, 2021, p. 2). Dr. J attempts to communicate with them using broken English, leading to a suboptimal understanding of MM's symptoms. As a result, Dr. J diagnoses MM with acute gastroenteritis, provides pain relief medication, and discharges her from the emergency department (ED) (Espinoza & Derrington, 2021, p. 3). However, two days later, MM returned to the ED in a critical condition, with an abdominal abscess from a ruptured appendix, septic shock, and requiring urgent surgical intervention.
Challenges of Treating Patients with Limited English Proficiency (LEP)
Communication Barriers
Language barriers pose significant challenges in patient-provider communication. Clinicians may have difficulty understanding the patient’s symptoms, medical history, and concerns without proper communication. “Poor communication also affects clinicians’ understanding of patients’ complaints, which complicates diagnoses and interventions, prompts inadequate or excessive testing, and results in differences in length of stay and increased morbidity and mortality” (Espinoza & Derrington, 2021, p. 2). Misinterpretations or incomplete understanding can lead to misdiagnoses, inadequate treatment plans, and compromised patient safety (Espinoza & Derrington, 2021, p. 3). The case study exemplifies how ineffective communication hindered accurate diagnosis and timely intervention, resulting in adverse consequences for the patient.
According to the literature, studies have shown that patients with LEP experience decreased comprehension of medical instructions, reduced satisfaction with clinical encounters, and poorer adherence to post-discharge care regimens. Language barriers also impact clinicians’ understanding of patients’ complaints, leading to challenges in making accurate diagnoses and treatment decisions (Napoles et al., 2015, p. 941). The study by Napoles et al. (2015) sheds light on the impa...