Utilization of Picture Boards in Hospitals Final Outline

Liz Gallinatti
COM 315 10:30am
9/13/07
Utilization of Picture Boards In Hospitals

INTRODUCTION:

Imagine that you are vacationing in a foreign country with your family. You are having a good time when all of a sudden, something goes terribly wrong and someone needs medical attention. This can be pretty scary, especially when thinking about the conditions of the hospital and how you are going to communicate your injuries to non-English speaking medical personnel.
In the United States, we are implementing picture boards. Picture boards have been implemented in more than 9 states so far.

Preview Statement: Today we will be discussing the use of picture boards, need for picture boards, and also some of the problems associated with language barriers.

VISUAL AID= POWER POINT PRESENTATION, pictures from CNN.com/health

I. Use of picture boards

A. More than nine state hospital associations now utilize large double-sided panels known as picture boards.
1. Picture boards ease the gap in communication between non-English speakers and medical personnel in hospitals.
2. The patient picks out their language and the correct (federally mandated) translator is notified and brought to aid patient in the communication process.
3. According to CNN.com, pictures are shown on the board relating to patient problems "such as pain, a burn, breathing trouble or a fall-- as well as the part of the body that is affected" (“Picture Boards Bridge Hospital Language Gaps” 2007).

B. Origin/Distribution
1. They are being administered by US Department of Health and Human Services.
2. Originated 1992 in Florida after Hurricane Andrew, popularity and need grew more after September 11, 2001 attacks.

C. Laurie E. Hansen describes picture file cards and how they are used to
“improve both academic English and conversational skills” and enables “them to communicate scientific knowledge they might have acquired in their native country” (38).

II. Relevance/Need

A. Scientific Facts/Study
1. According to CNN.com, “48 percent of hospitals encounter patients with limited English skills daily" (“Picture Boards Bridge Hospital Language Gaps” 2007).
2. Blanca Angelica Gonzalez, RN of the American Public Health Association wrote of a scientific study in which 68 people were given a survey to determine "sources of social support and barriers to healthcare in a convenience sample of community dwelling older Latinos" (2007).
a. Obstacles
1. Obstacles included cost (73.6%).
2. Transportation (51.5%) was another issue.
3. Unfamiliarity with providers (41.3%) was noted.
4. Language barriers (64.7%) were listed as second to cost.

B. Language Cards being used by Deployed Troops
1. Helpful in foreign countries to communicate
2. Size= Index Card
-Body chart to help ID bad guys
- rank insignias
-cultural references
3. According to Anne Clark of the Knight Ridder Tribune Business News the picture cards “Eliminate “cultural static” such as dialect” and are “universally understood” (2006).


III. Problems associated with language barriers

A. Partida also says that doctors are not prepared for "Rapid growth of the population with limited English proficiency (LEP)…." (566-571).

B. Also, culture is linked into the language and can cause problems.
1. There are problems associated with patient-healthcare relations.
a. English-Spanish translations have different meanings, which can be difficult for translators to relay correct meanings as well.
1. Partida also makes reference to medical misunderstandings: “For example, the newly diagnosed diabetes patient may encounter familiar words such as blood, sugar, diet, and exercise but in a context that may be unfamiliar and possibly confusing” (566-571).

Conclusion:

Today, we have discussed the uses, needs, and problems associated with picture boards being implemented in hospitals in the United States. Utilizing these boards will help to bridge the gap between patients and their healthcare professionals.

Jessica Foster of the Knight Ridder Tribune Business News concurs that:
“Communication is key in the medical field to understanding the patient’s needs and providing instruction about follow-up care” (Foster 2006).
























Works Cited:

Clark, Anne. "Cards help deployed troops bridge language gap. " Knight Ridder Tribune Business News 13 February 2006 1. ABI/INFORM Dateline. ProQuest. Purdue University Libraries, West Lafayette, IN. 12 Sept. 2007 .

Foster, Jessica (29 September). A bridge forged of words: HGTC teaches Spanish skills to foster customer interaction. Knight Ridder Tribune Business News,1. Retrieved September 13, 2007, from ABI/INFORM Dateline database. (Document ID: 1137389311).

Gonzalez, Blanca Angelica BA, RN. “Social support and barriers to healthcare among older Latinos in a rural community.” Social Support and CaregivingThe 135th Annual Meeting & Exposition (November 3-7, 2007) of American Public Health Association. 7 September 2007.

Hansen, Laurie E. (2003). Science in any language. Science and Children, 41(3), 35-39. Retrieved September 13, 2007, from Education Module database. (Document ID: 440043621).

Partida, Yolanda. “Language Barriers and the Patient Encounter.” Virtual Mentor
9 (2007): 566-571. 7 September 2007.
http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/print/17811.html.

“Picture Boards Bridge Hospital Language Gaps.” CNN.com/Health. 3 Sept. 2007.
7 September 2007 .