Conversantes: Overcoming language and cultural barriers through learning medical Spanish

APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Cazandra Zaragoza, Rebeca Arias, Delfina Gaxiola, and Cinthia Reyes. FAMILY AND COMMUNITY MEDICINE, UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA, P.O. Box 245052, Tucson, AZ 85724-5052, 520-870-5703, ARIZONASUNSTAR@AOL.COM

There is a great need for culturally competent health care in the United States, given that racial and ethnic minorities are burdened with higher rates of morbidity and mortality. Latinos are the fastest growing ethnic group in the United States. In 2004, Latinos composed 14.2% of the U.S. population and 28.1% of Arizona's population. There are many Latino individuals, particularly in Southern Arizona, that do not speak English and are therefore unable to communicate their health needs without the use of an interpreter. Many times, a patient's relative or an untrained bilingual employee is called on to interpret. An inability to communicate with a healthcare provider not only creates a barrier to accessing medical care but also undermines trust in the health care system, affects a patient's understanding of their diagnosis and decreases the likelihood of a timely, accurate diagnosis and appropriate follow-up. The Conversantes class was created to address language and cultural barriers. This course teaches medical interpretation and translation techniques that serve as a bridge between languages and cultural gaps that exist between Spanish-speaking Latino patients and their English-speaking medical providers. As native Spanish-speaking students, we learned complicated medical terminology and interpreted for Spanish speaking patients so that they understand and receive crucial care needed for their well-being. Through participation in the Conversantes course, our interest in medicine is finely tuned by providing us with the opportunity to interact with medical students also learning Spanish and work as interpreters for local health professionals serving Spanish-speaking patients. This class has fostered our desire to become increasingly dedicated to addressing the healthcare needs of this historically underserved population. This poster will describe the course components; classroom activities and the service learning applications.

Learning Objectives: After viewing this poster, the participant will be able to

List four negative consequences of language barriers in physician encounters with patients of limited English proficiency.
Recognize the need and importance of a program to properly train native Spanish-speaking students in medical interpretation and translation techniques.
Describe the course components and experiences gained through the Conversantes class.

Keywords: Latino Health, Interpreters

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No

Recorded presentation

Building Capacity for Hispanics in the Community

The 134th Annual Meeting & Exposition (November 4-8, 2006) of APHA