First Name:
Maria
Last Name:
Craig
Major Department:
Global Studies and Spanish
Thesis Director:
Benjamin Souza
Date of Thesis:
May 2013
The purpose of this thesis is to determine the effect a language barrier has on the quality of treatment and level of satisfaction for patients with limited English proficiency. Data was collected through surveys which were administered to 30 individuals during a medical trip to Guatemala. None of the individuals surveyed were proficient in English and underwent surgeries performed by physicians and medical staff who were exclusively English speakers. Interpreters facilitated communication between the patients and the medical team. The individuals were asked the day after their operation to volunteer to take an 8 question survey which aimed to determine their level of comfort and satisfaction with the treatment they had received.
The results of the surveys had very little variation in the responses the patients gave. One hundred percent of those who took the survey indicated that they were in agreement with the statement “I felt confident in the abilities of the medical team.” Of the patients surveyed, 96.67% felt as if they were able to express their worries and doubts. The only statement in which more than 2 of the patients answered differently than the majority was “I believe that I would have received better service if the doctors had spoken Spanish.” Of the patients interviewed, 26.67% indicated that they felt they would have received better treatment if the doctors had spoken Spanish.
Though the large majority of the patients indicated overall satisfaction, the patients still felt that the treatment they received was lower quality due to the language barrier. Even with interpreters, patients with limited English proficiency are at risk to receive unequal care when compared to patients who are able to directly communicate with their health care providers.