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Bilingual Emergency Rooms Aim to Curb Medical Errors
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A WPR Special Report
Produced by Chuck Quirmbach
7/31/06
A health study done by a Wisconsin researcher says many immigrants may face inadequate medical care, because of language barriers. But some health facilities, here and elsewhere, are working to add more bilingual staff and reduce errors based on miscommunication.
Chuck Quirmbach reports…
running time 4:55
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Medical providers strive to do their job well, though staffing shortages, fatigued staff, limited space, and accessability can complicate the process. And then there's an increasing number of people in the country who have trouble speaking or understanding English. The problem can become a matter of life and death in some cases.
| Health Policy Professor, Glenn Flores of the Medical College of Wisconsin, authored a study about the problem. Currently, 22-million residents are not proficient in English. He says in one instance,
paramedics thought a Spanish-speaking man was suffering from a drug overdose when in fact he had a ruptured artery in his brain. The end result was the man becoming a quadrapalegic -- and a settlement from the hospital exceeding 70-million dollars. |  |
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Despite cautionary tales such as this, Flores says most health care facilities don't have trained interpreters in their staff. The expense of hiring qualified interpreters is the biggest deterrent. For now, many medical staffs may rely on patients' relatives who can help translate, or health personnel who are bi-lingual. And many now emphasize a proficiency in Spanish or other languages for job applicants.
Flores also says more U-S medical schools could make their students take medical Spanish, Chinese, or other locally relevant languages. For now, health care providers are struggling to accomodate the growing diversity of patients, and to instill diversity among their own ranks of doctors, nurses, and assistants. |
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