Bilingual Communicators within the Health Care Setting

Abstract

The communication challenges posed by diversity in consumers and health workers prompted these researchers to seek information about how bilingual staff use their language skills in patient encounters. Content analysis, using the NUD•IST (Nonnumerical Unstructured Data Indexing, Searching, and Theory-Building) program, of the transcripts from 18 focus groups (n = 81) has resulted in new notions about bilingualism. Four types of bilingual workers were defined within the Bilingual Health Communication Model, based on level of fluency (no fluency to complex verbalizer) and the context of the interaction (social engagement to complex health information transference). These forms of communicators were found to be active and purposeful in language skill clusters, language exchange programs, and individual bilingual worker roles (direct caregiver, communication facilitator or consultant, and cultural advocate or broker). Implementing the systems and roles proposed might transform the communication or indeed miscommunication patterns that are widespread in our health care systems.