Patient Perspectives on Language Discordance During Healthcare Visits: Findings From the Extremely High-Density Multicultural State of Qatar

Abstract

Reducing language and cultural barriers in healthcare are significant factors in resolving health disparities. Qatar’s rapidly growing multicultural population presents new challenges to the healthcare system. The purpose of this research was to explore patients’ perspectives about language discordance, and the strategies used to overcome language barriers during patients’ visits. Participants were recruited and interviewed from four language groups (Arabic = 24, English = 20, Hindi = 20, and Urdu = 20), all of whom were living in Qatar and utilizing Hamad General Hospital-Outpatient Clinics as a source of their healthcare services. Using qualitative analysis procedures, relevant themes and codes were generated and data analyzed using Atlas-ti. As for results, most participants had experienced or witnessed language barriers during their outpatient clinics visits. Participants essentially were unfamiliar with professional medical interpreters and described their adaptive solutions, for example utilizing incidental interpreters, stringing together fragments of multiple languages, and using body language. Those not speaking mainstream languages of Hamad General Hospital (English and Arabic) were more vulnerable to health disparities due to language barriers. Despite the patient impetus to do something, patient-reported adaptive strategies could compromise patients’ safety and access to quality healthcare. Polices tackling the language barrier need to be reviewed in Qatar’s multicultural healthcare system and similar settings.