A Surprising Health Resource for Non-Native Speakers of English: Advocating Social Support Networks in Medical Encounters
Author: Egbert, Nichole L.
Date Published: 1998
In their book, Health Communication: Theory & Practice, Kreps and Thornton maintain that medical translators can be valuable resources when communicating between doctors and their patients who speak English as a second language. However, when translators are not available, the authors give physicians the following five suggestions for working with ESOL patients: Speak slowly and make sure that the session lasts as long as necessary; Make the sentence structure simple, but not simplistic; Avoid technical terms; Do not assume the client understands, but ask the client to explain and paraphrase; involve family and friends and a social support system.
Date Published: 1998
In their book, Health Communication: Theory & Practice, Kreps and Thornton maintain that medical translators can be valuable resources when communicating between doctors and their patients who speak English as a second language. However, when translators are not available, the authors give physicians the following five suggestions for working with ESOL patients: Speak slowly and make sure that the session lasts as long as necessary; Make the sentence structure simple, but not simplistic; Avoid technical terms; Do not assume the client understands, but ask the client to explain and paraphrase; involve family and friends and a social support system.
