Helping

Your

Spanish-Speaking

Patients

Kathryn Birkhead

Director of Diversity and Inclusion

Jones Center

Who are the Latinas we’re serving?

• Authorized migrants--52% are female

• Unauthorized migrants--42% are female

Who are the Latinas we’re serving?

• Mexico is the largest single source of migrants

• Also many from Central America, particularly El Salvador and Guatemala

• 52% have been in the U.S. for less than 5 years

Who are the Latinas we’re serving?

• 62% lack a high school diploma• 57% do not speak English well

• or do not speak it at all

Latino values

• Familia - Centered on the family

• Cariño – Nurturance

• Atención – Attentiveness

• Empatía - Empathy

• Respeto - Unconditional regard

• Idioma nativo - Home language

NCLR

Latino family values

• Responsibilidad - Personal sense of responsibility

• Compromiso - Commitment

• Educación – Education, manners. character

• Tradiciones culturales - Cultural knowledge and tradition

• Sabiduría de los antepasados - Ancestral wisdom

Reasons for not receiving health care

• Language• Cost• Too long till appointment• Lack of transportation• Distance

From César Compadre, UAMS

When was your last routine check up?

Never: 36.6%

From César Compadre, UAMS

From César Compadre, UAMS

Barriers to health care

•Language

•Lack of knowledge about system

•Lack of immigration documents

•Lack of providers with whom they feel comfortable

•Lack of health insurance

•Make a note of their language on their files

•Use their last name with their title (Mr., Mrs., Miss, etc.)

•Respect modesty

•Make signage, appointment reminders, etc. in Spanish

•Use a trained interpreter—not a family member!

General Guidelines for Working with Spanish-

speaking patients

Interpreters

•Trustworthiness

•Ethical considerations

•Technical skills

•How to interact

•Advantages of face-to-face interpreters

Help with low literacy patients:

•Use visual instructions; help the patient practice

•Present information simply and concretely

•Keep the message to a few key points

•Avoid unnecessary details

Source: Laura Owens and Debra Walden, Arkansas State University

Help with low literacy patients:

•Sit with them rather than standing

•Speak slowly and listen carefully

•Ask “What are your questions?”

rather than “Do you have any questions?”

•Use orienting statements—”Now we’ll talk about your diabetes.”

Find out how you’re doing culturally:

http://www11.georgetown.edu/research/gucchd/nccc/features/CCHPA.html

For more information:

www.pewhispanic.org

www.nclr.org

www.cancer.org