COM 315 10:30am
10/2/07
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. They have been implemented in more than 9 states so far and will bridge the gap between language barriers.
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 the Knight Ridder Tribune Business News:
“At Truman Medical Center on Hospital Hill last year, there were about 40,000 "interpretive encounters," occasions when an interpreter was used to communicate with a patient. In 2000, the number was just under
15,000” (Eveld 2006).
2. “48% of hospitals encounter patients with limited English skills daily” (CNN.com/health 2007).
3. 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. Metro areas highest in demand
1. Spanish-English is the language that most utilizes translators.
2. Arabic and Somalian translators are also requested.
3. Less frequent languages require the use of
outside translating companies (Eveld 2006).
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. According to Edward Eveld of the Knight Ridder Tribune Business News, “An article in the New England Journal of Medicine reported that language barriers persist in U.S. health care, putting patients at risk for poor care and medical mistakes” (2006).
B. Yolanda Partida of Virtual Mentor also says that doctors are not prepared for "Rapid growth of the population with limited English proficiency (LEP)…." (566-571).
C. Greenbaum and Flores used the example that family to Doctor translations create privacy issues because people are hesitant to reveal personal information to their doctor through a family member translating (21).
D. 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.
b. 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).
E. “Health outcomes, patient satisfaction, efficient use of resources and quality of care” are three factors that are negatively affected by language barriers (Greenbaum, Flores 21).
IV. Summary
A. Uses
B. Needs for Picture Boards
C. Problems Associated with Language Barriers
V. Conclusion
A. 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 doctors and healthcare professionals.
B. 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” (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
Eveld, Edward M. "Communication is key: Translators are bridging the language gaps
that exist between patients and hospital staffs." Knight Ridder Tribune Business News 26 July 2006 1. ABI/INFORM Dateline. ProQuest. Purdue University Libraries, West Lafayette, Indiana. 26 Sep. 2007 http://www2.lib.purdue.edu:2464/.
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.
Greenbaum, Michael, Flores, Glenn. "Lost in translation. " Modern Healthcare
3 May 2004: 21. ABI/INFORM Global. ProQuest. Purdue University Libraries, West Lafayette, Indiana. 26 Sep. 2007 http://www2.lib.purdue.edu:2464/.
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
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