Country Profiles. Feature: July 2011 — EthnoMed. By Benji Perin, MD Candidate (2015), University of Washington School of Medicine In the provider-patient relationship, the path to positive health outcomes begins with a human connection.
Developing rapport lays the foundation for each successive stage of the visit — from agenda setting and gathering information, to sharing information and involving patients in creating their treatment plans. Language barriers make each one of these steps more difficult. Professional interpreters play a crucial role in helping providers and patients communicate, but the important work of making a connection still falls to the caregiver.
Click on the image to access Phrases of Courtesy in Nine Languages: A Tool for Medical Providers. Cultural Profiles of Some Peoples of Africa.