The Rheumatologist
COVID-19 NewsACR Convergence
  • Connect with us:
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • Feed
  • Home
  • Conditions
    • Rheumatoid Arthritis
    • SLE (Lupus)
    • Crystal Arthritis
      • Gout Resource Center
    • Spondyloarthritis
    • Osteoarthritis
    • Soft Tissue Pain
    • Scleroderma
    • Vasculitis
    • Systemic Inflammatory Syndromes
    • Guidelines
  • Resource Centers
    • Axial Spondyloarthritis Resource Center
    • Gout Resource Center
    • Psoriatic Arthritis Resource Center
    • Rheumatoid Arthritis Resource Center
    • Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Resource Center
  • Drug Updates
    • Biologics & Biosimilars
    • DMARDs & Immunosuppressives
    • Topical Drugs
    • Analgesics
    • Safety
    • Pharma Co. News
  • Professional Topics
    • Ethics
    • Legal
    • Legislation & Advocacy
    • Career Development
      • Certification
      • Education & Training
    • Awards
    • Profiles
    • President’s Perspective
    • Rheuminations
    • Interprofessional Perspective
  • Practice Management
    • Billing/Coding
    • Quality Assurance/Improvement
    • Workforce
    • Facility
    • Patient Perspective
    • Electronic Health Records
    • Apps
    • Information Technology
    • From the College
    • Multimedia
      • Audio
      • Video
  • Resources
    • Issue Archives
    • ACR Convergence
      • Gout Resource Center
      • Axial Spondyloarthritis Resource Center
      • Psoriatic Arthritis
      • Abstracts
      • Meeting Reports
      • ACR Convergence Home
    • American College of Rheumatology
    • ACR ExamRheum
    • Research Reviews
    • ACR Journals
      • Arthritis & Rheumatology
      • Arthritis Care & Research
      • ACR Open Rheumatology
    • Rheumatology Image Library
    • Treatment Guidelines
    • Rheumatology Research Foundation
    • Events
  • About Us
    • Mission/Vision
    • Meet the Authors
    • Meet the Editors
    • Contribute to The Rheumatologist
    • Subscription
    • Contact
  • Advertise
  • Search
You are here: Home / Articles / Don’t Get Lost in Translation: Helping rheumatology Patients with Limited English Skills

Don’t Get Lost in Translation: Helping rheumatology Patients with Limited English Skills

January 1, 2010 • By Vanessa Caceres

  • Tweet
  • Email
Print-Friendly Version / Save PDF

A female patient from Somalia who does not speak much English hesitates to explain symptoms of her suspected rheumatologic disease.

You Might Also Like
  • Give Rheumatology Patients a Helping Hand
  • Mobile Health Devices May Have Limited Use in Rheumatology
  • Two Years of Helping Patients Obtain Prescriptions
Explore This Issue
January 2010
Also By This Author
  • Fibromyalgia-Related Sleep Disorder Diagnosis & Treament Tips

A Spanish-speaking patient with fibromyalgia brings along her young son to help translate.

ad goes here:advert-1
ADVERTISEMENT
SCROLL TO CONTINUE

A hospital translator stumbles to explain the intricacies of lupus to a patient.

These are just some of the common scenarios that rheumatologists encounter when treating patients who are limited English proficient (LEP). As challenging as these situations may be, the quest for solutions to better reach these patients is key, because 37 million Americans are foreign born, according to the Joint Commission. Additionally, 54 million speak a language other than English at home; slightly less than half of this population is considered LEP.

ad goes here:advert-2
ADVERTISEMENT
SCROLL TO CONTINUE

Federal law requires hospitals to provide reasonable language access services for patients who are LEP or who are deaf or hard of hearing. In some states, interpreters and specific language resources must be available at hospitals for LEP patients.

English-language barriers can make an already time-strapped medical staff struggle a little more. “Whenever there’s an intermediary [like a translator], it takes more time,” says rheumatologist Eric S. Schned, MD, a rheumatologist at Park Nicollet Clinic in Minneapolis.

On the other end, the patients, often already nervous about their medical symptoms, may feel limited by their loss for words in English. “When you speak, you feel vulnerable,” says Maria Conceicao, a Spanish and Portuguese interpreter based in the Washington, D.C., area.

ad goes here:advert-3
ADVERTISEMENT
SCROLL TO CONTINUE

The specialty of rheumatology is hit particularly hard when language barriers arise. “A lot of the concepts are complicated,” says Karen Onel, MD, director of the rheumatology training program at the University of Chicago/La Rabida Children’s Hospital. Also, rheumatology doesn’t always have the “fame” of other health conditions. “A lot of people have heard about heart attacks. Not as many people have heard of osteoarthritis,” Dr. Onel adds.

“Think of how complicated it is to explain an autoimmune disease to a patient. Now translate it into a different language. Unless you are a native speaker and understand the culture the patient comes from, you will have a difficult time explaining the disorders and potential treatment options,” says Alfonso E. Bello, MD, clinical associate professor of medicine at the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Chicago, Illinois Bone and Joint Institute, LLC.

The Pros and Cons of Translation

The natural solution when working with LEP patients in rheumatology or any medical specialty is to obtain help from translators or a translation service. This option has both advantages and disadvantages, many say.

Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 | Single Page

Filed Under: Education & Training, Practice Management, Professional Topics Tagged With: Diversity, language barriers, patient care, Patients, Practice toolsIssue: January 2010

You Might Also Like:
  • Give Rheumatology Patients a Helping Hand
  • Mobile Health Devices May Have Limited Use in Rheumatology
  • Two Years of Helping Patients Obtain Prescriptions
  • Rheumatologist’s Ping-Pong Prowess Sharpens His Skills with Patients

ACR Convergence

Don’t miss rheumatology’s premier scientific meeting for anyone involved in research or the delivery of rheumatologic care or services.

Visit the ACR Convergence site »

Meeting Abstracts

Browse and search abstracts from the ACR Convergence and ACR/ARP Annual Meetings going back to 2012.

Visit the Abstracts site »

Simple Tasks

Learn more about the ACR’s public awareness campaign and how you can get involved. Help increase visibility of rheumatic diseases and decrease the number of people left untreated.

Visit the Simple Tasks site »

The Rheumatologist newsmagazine reports on issues and trends in the management and treatment of rheumatic diseases. The Rheumatologist reaches 11,500 rheumatologists, internists, orthopedic surgeons, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurses, and other healthcare professionals who practice, research, or teach in the field of rheumatology.

About Us / Contact Us / Advertise / Privacy Policy / Terms of Use / Cookie Preferences

  • Connect with us:
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • Feed

Copyright © 2006–2023 American College of Rheumatology. All rights reserved.

ISSN 1931-3268 (print)
ISSN 1931-3209 (online)