Communication Difficulties Encountered by Health Care Provides Delivering Services to Latino Families of Children with Craniofacial Conditions

Objectives. This qualitative study discusses (1) boundaries to communication experienced by teams of the American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association (ACPA) providing services to Latino families and their children with craniofacial conditions, and (2) how communication difficulties reported by health care professionals may adversely affect the provision of services to Latino families.

Methods. This survey examined ACPA team members' experiences working with Latino families and patients. Two semi-structured surveys were administered to ACPA teams reported in the organization's national membership directory. The first survey was sent to 244 teams. The second survey was administered to 57 teams that reported a 25% increase or more in the number of Spanish-speaking patients seeing in their clinics in the last five years.

Results. This presentation discusses the results of the second survey sent to team members. The survey was sent to 57 teams. Twenty-nine teams from eleven states completed and returned the survey. ACPA team members reported difficulties in the three primary areas examined in the survey: language and communication, compliance, and conflict with religion or cultural beliefs. In addition financial issues; citizenship and immigration; multiple names; and lack of information on family genetics or prenatal care emerged from the qualitative data analysis as areas where ACPA health care providers encounter difficulties with Latino families. Language/communication, compliance, and financial issues were the difficulties most frequently reported by ACPA team members.

Conclusions. Language and communication continue to pose significant challenges to the delivery of services to Latino families. Other areas of difficulty reported such as generating a family history or obtaining information on genetics and prenatal care may be exacerbated by communication boundaries.