Language difficulties: Healthcare provider - migrant patient communication

In 2020 there were 36.5 million foreign-born residents in the EU, about 8 percent of the total population. With increased migration, healthcare providers in host countries need to care more frequently for patients with whom they do not share a language. A language barrier between migrant patients and care providers is considered a risk factor for adverse health outcomes and health disparities and is associated with lower patient satisfaction with care, increased risks of medical errors and misdiagnosis, and higher hospital costs. Studies in the United States have found that professional interpreters improve clinical care for patients with limited English language proficiency. This chapter presents an overview of the research about the effect of language barriers on healthcare access and health outcomes of patients. We will discuss how language barriers influence communication between healthcare providers and patients and discuss research about the use of interpreters (trained interpreters as well as informal interpreters such as family members) and its effects on health care access and health outcomes. In addition, research about new technologies such as machine-based interpretation will be discussed. We will end the chapter with a short discussion about the preconditions for good communication with patients who do not speak the language of the host country, such as having national guidelines and having trained staff as well as some avenues for future research in the field.