Health Expectations
2019

Beyond translation: Engaging with culturally and linguistically diverse consumers (Article) (Open Access)

Harrison R.* , Walton M. , Chitkara U. , Manias E. , Chauhan A. , Latanik M. , Leone D.
  • a School of Public Health and Community Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
  • b School of Public Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
  • c School of Public Health and Community Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
  • d School of Nursing and Midwifery, Deakin University, Burwood, VIC, Australia, Melbourne School of Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
  • e School of Public Health and Community Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
  • f Multicultural Health, Western Sydney Local Health District, Penrith, NSW, Australia
  • g Multicultural Health, Western Sydney Local Health District, Penrith, NSW, Australia

Abstract

Background: In the context of an effective consumer engagement framework, there is potential for health-care delivery to be safer. Consumers from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds may experience several barriers when trying to engage about their health care, and they are not acknowledged sufficiently in contemporary strategies to facilitate patient engagement. Methods: Four focus group discussions were facilitated by bilingual fieldworkers in Arabic, Mandarin, Turkish and Dari in a district of Sydney, Australia that has a high proportion of CALD consumers. Each group included 5-7 health-care consumers who, using a topic guide, discussed their experiences of barriers and facilitators when engaging with health-care services in Australia. Thematic analysis was undertaken to identify, analyse and report patterns in the data. Results: In all, 24 consumers participated. Six inter-related themes emerged: navigating the health system; seeking meaningful interpretation; understanding and managing expectations; respectful professional care; accessing services; and feeling unsafe. Conclusions: The incorporation of strategies such as professional interpreters and migrant health workers may go some way to addressing the needs of culturally or linguistically diverse consumers and facilitate communication, but do not sufficiently address the range of barriers to consumer engagement identified in this work. Understanding consumer experience in the context of the complex factors that may be associated with poor engagement and poor outcomes such as health literacy, cultural, educational and linguistic background, and health-care setting or condition, may contribute to better understanding about how to deliver quality health care to these patients. © 2019 The Authors. Health Expectations published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Author Keywords

patient engagement Migrants health-care quality focus group research consumer engagement

Index Keywords

[No Keywords available]
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85074285831&doi=10.1111%2fhex.12984&partnerID=40&md5=ab4bcbd318749216b1fd21076576fb35
DOI: 10.1111/hex.12984
ISSN: 13696513
Original Language: English