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Health, Newcomers and Language Barriers (I) Tai Mooi Ho, Nurse at the Nephrology Service in the Hospital del Mar, Barcelona, Catalonia « Strategies of intervention to offer newcomers with an efficient, communicative and respectful health care in Catalonia. » In the last years, due to the phenomenon of globalisation, an increase of movements of population has characterised many different places in the world. This fact has resulted, among other things, with more permeable borders. In the health services, this demographic change implies that health professionals have to pay attention and give assistance to a culturally heterogeneous population. Regarding the health system, the interactions with patients of different and/or unknown culture show features that often can act as barriers. They are mainly the following: a) the language, b) the beliefs, which can be religious and non-religious and c) the values and cultural norms. The language barrier is the most frequent obstacle and one of first order. These barriers can stop or slow down a diagnosis and unintendedly resulting in a non-suitable treatment that consequently effects the efficiency of the health care received by the patient. Therefore, it is a challenge for health professionals to be competent and to establish an effective and mutual way of communication. In the Hospital del Mar, strategies have been developed and suitable systems for a health care culturally directed at attending the newcomer population in Catalonia. The case study presented collects and portrays the sensitivity and the opening on behalf of health professionals in front of language barriers, achieving an effective care through the respect to the right to health and the cultural expressions of patients. |
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