scholarly journals Interpreting in Sexual and Reproductive Health Consults With Burma Born Refugees Post Settlement: Insights From an Australian Qualitative Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amita Tuteja ◽  
Elisha Riggs ◽  
Lena Sanci ◽  
Lester Mascarenhas ◽  
Di VanVliet ◽  
...  

Interpreters work with health care professionals to overcome language challenges during sexual and reproductive (SRH) health discussions with people from refugee backgrounds. Disclosures of traumatic refugee journeys and sexual assault combined with refugees’ unfamiliarity with Western health concepts and service provision can increase the interpreting challenges. Published literature provides general guidance on working with interpreters in primary care but few studies focus on interpretation in refugee SRH consults. To address this, we explored the challenges faced by providers of refugee services (PRS) during interpreter mediated SRH consultations with Burma born refugees post settlement in Australia. We used qualitative methodology and interviewed 29 PRS involved with migrants from Burma including general practitioners, nurses, interpreters, bilingual social workers, and administrative staff. The interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and subjected to thematic analysis following independent coding by the members of the research team. Key themes were formulated after a consensus discussion. The theme of “interpretation related issues” was identified with six sub-themes including 1) privacy and confidentiality 2) influence of interpreter’s identity 3) gender matching of the interpreter 4) family member vs. professional interpreters 5) telephone vs. face-to-face interpreting 6) setting up the consultation room. When faced with these interpretation related challenges in providing SRH services to people from refugee backgrounds, health care providers combine best practice advice, experience-based knowledge and “mundane creativity” to adapt to the needs of the specific patients. The complexity of interpreted SRH consultations in refugee settings needs to be appreciated in making good judgments when choosing the best way to optimize communication. This paper identifies the critical elements which could be incorporated when making such a judgement. Future research should include the experiences of refugee patients to provide a more comprehensive perspective.

2019 ◽  
Vol 153 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Morgan ◽  
Jessica Hanna ◽  
George M Yousef

Abstract Objectives Knowledge translation (KT) is the dynamic process of mobilizing best-practice evidence to guide health care decisions. Methods Using a PubMed search, challenges were identified and milestones defined. Results Substantial challenges exist in integrating discoveries into patient care, including technical limitations related to genomic testing like turnaround time, standardization, reproducibility, and results interpretation. Other challenges include lack of proper training in genetic counseling for health care providers, clarity of scientific evidence, and ethical, legal and social considerations. In addition, most health care systems lack accessibility to genetic testing services. Moving forward, KT should be addressed at three main frontiers. The first is patients centered for proper understanding and decision making; the second is directed toward health care professionals, including clinical decision support and clarity of roles; and the third addresses resources of health care systems. Conclusions Implementing KT requires developing strategies to enhance awareness and promote behavioral changes congruent with research evidence, designing a systematic approach by health care providers and stakeholders to achieve patient-centered care.


2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 18-30
Author(s):  
Eleanor Cramer

BACKGROUND: Patients’ limited proficiency in the language of health care providers is known to be associated with health care disparities. Reluctance to use professional interpreting is documented across a wide range of health care professionals. Most of the literature on the effect of interpreting practices has focused on non-midwifery contexts.OBJECTIVE: To review the evidence regarding how using professional interpreters impacts the midwifery care of women with limited dominant language proficiency (LDLP).METHODS: Eligible studies were identified using searches of MEDLINE, CINAHL, and Maternity and Infant Care, then analyzed and assessed for applicability to midwifery.RESULTS: 40 eligible papers, and two systematic reviews containing 48 additional papers, were included. The use of professional interpreters was found to support all aspects of the midwife’s direct role, with some complex findings on woman-centered communication during interpreted encounters. The use of ad hoc interpreters, or no interpreting, undermines all aspects of midwifery care for women with LDLP.IMPLICATIONS: Midwifery care should be enhanced by increasing midwives’ use of professional interpreters; future research should consider how best to achieve this or investigate the comparative efficacy of more complex interventions, such as interpreter-doulas.


Author(s):  
Tommasina Pianese ◽  
Patrizia Belfiore

The application of social networks in the health domain has become increasingly prevalent. They are web-based technologies which bring together a group of people and health-care providers having in common health-related interests, who share text, image, video and audio contents and interact with each other. This explains the increasing amount of attention paid to this topic by researchers who have investigated a variety of issues dealing with the specific applications in the health-care industry. The aim of this study is to systematize this fragmented body of literature, and provide a comprehensive and multi-level overview of the studies that has been carried out to date on social network uses in healthcare, taking into account the great level of diversity that characterizes this industry. To this end, we conduct a scoping review enabling to identify the major research streams, whose aggregate knowledge are discussed according to three levels of analysis that reflect the viewpoints of the major actors using social networks for health-care purposes, i.e., governments, health-care providers (including health-care organizations and professionals) and social networks’ users (including ill patients and general public). We conclude by proposing directions for future research.


2021 ◽  
pp. 089443932110257
Author(s):  
Md Irfanuzzaman Khan ◽  
Jennifer (M.I.) Loh

With the advent of telecommunication technologies and social media, many health care professionals are using social media to communicate with their patients and to promote health. However, the literature reveals a lacuna in our understanding of health care professionals’ perception of their behavioral intentions to use innovations. Using the Unified Technology Acceptance Framework (unified theory of acceptance and use of technology), in-depth interviews were conducted with 16 Australian health care experts to uncover their intent and actual use of social media in their medical practices. Results revealed that social media tools offered five significant benefits such as (i) enhanced communication between health care professionals and their patients, (ii) community support, (iii) enabled e-learning, (iv) enhanced professional network, and (v) expedited health promotion. However, result also revealed barriers to social media usage including (i) inefficiency, (ii) privacy concerns, (iii) poor quality of information, (iv) lack of trust, and (v) blurred professional boundary. Peer influence and supporting conditions were also found to be determinants of social media adoption behaviors among health care professionals. This study has important implications for health care providers, patients, and policy makers on the responsible use of social media, health promotion, and health communication. This research is also among the very few studies that explore Australian health care professionals’ intent and actual use of innovations within a health care setting.


2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 35-39 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brianne Redquest ◽  
Yona Lunsky

Purpose There has been an increase in research exploring the area of intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and diabetes. Despite being described as instrumental to diabetes care for people with IDD, the role and experiences of family carers, such as parents and siblings, are often neglected in this research. However, it is clear that family carers do not feel that they have sufficient knowledge about diabetes. The purpose of this commentary is to extend the content from “Diabetes and people with learning disabilities: Issues for policy, practice, and education (Maine et al., 2020)” and discuss how family carers can feel better supported when caring for someone with IDD and diabetes. Design/methodology/approach This commentary discusses specific efforts such as STOP diabetes, DESMOND-ID and OK-diabetes for people with IDD including family carers. Encouragement is given for health care providers to recommend such programmes to people with IDD and their family carers. It is also suggested that health care providers involve family carers in diabetes care planning and implementation for people with IDD. Findings It is hoped that if changes are made to current diabetes practices and more research with family carers is conducted, diabetes prevention and management for people with IDD will be more successful and family carers can feel more confident in providing support to their loved ones. Originality/value Research exploring the role of family carers in diabetes care for people with IDD and diabetes is very limited. This commentary makes recommendations to help family carers feel better supported in their role. It also provides areas for future research.


Author(s):  
Shimaa A. Elghazally ◽  
Atef F. Alkarn ◽  
Hussein Elkhayat ◽  
Ahmed K. Ibrahim ◽  
Mariam Roshdy Elkhayat

Background: burnout syndrome is a serious and growing problem among medical staff. Its adverse outcomes not only affect health-care providers’ health, but also extend to their patients, resulting in bad-quality care. The COVID-19 pandemic puts frontline health-care providers at greater risk of psychological stress and burnout syndrome. Objectives: this study aimed to identify the levels of burnout among health-care professionals currently working at Assiut University hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: the current study adopted an online cross-sectional design using the SurveyMonkey® website for data collection. A total of 201 physicians were included and the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) scale was used to assess the three burnout syndrome dimensions: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment. Results: about one-third, two-thirds, and one-quarter of the respondents had high emotional exhaustion, high depersonalization, and low personal accomplishment, respectively. Younger, resident, and single physicians reported higher burnout scores. The personal accomplishment score was significantly higher among males. Those working more than eight hours/day and dealing with COVID-19 patients had significantly higher scores. Conclusion: during the COVID-19 pandemic, a high prevalence of burnout was recorded among physicians. Age, job title, working duration, and working hours/day were significant predictors for burnout syndrome subscale results. Preventive and interventive programs should be applied in health-care organizations during pandemics.


2009 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 148-154 ◽  
Author(s):  
CA Graham ◽  
WO Kwok ◽  
YL Tsang ◽  
TH Rainer

Objective To explore why patients in Hong Kong seek medical advice from the emergency department (ED) and to identify the methods by which patients would prefer to be updated on the likely waiting time for medical consultation in the ED. Methods The study recruited 249 semi-urgent and non-urgent patients in the ED of Prince of Wales Hospital from 26th September 2005 to 30th September 2005 inclusive. A convenience sample of subjects aged ≥15 years old in triage categories 4 or 5 were verbally consented and interviewed by research nurses using a standardized questionnaire. Results From 1715 potential patients, 249 were recruited ad hoc (mean age 44 years [SD18]; 123 females). About 63% indicated that an acceptable ED waiting time was less than or equal to two hours, and 88% felt that having individual number cards and using a number allocation screen in the ED waiting area would be useful. Perceived reasons for attending the ED rather than other health care providers such as primary health care or the general outpatient clinic (GOPC) included: a desire for more detailed investigations (56%); a perception that more professional medical advice was given in the ED (35%); patients were under the continuing care of the hospital (19%); and patients were referred to the ED by other health care professionals (11%). Notably, 26% of participants had considered attending the GOPC prior to attending the ED. Patients educated to tertiary level expected a shorter waiting time than those educated to lesser degrees (p=0.026, Kruskal-Wallis test). Suggestions were made on how to provide a more pleasant ED environment for the wait for consultations, which included the provision of a television screen with sound in the waiting area (43%), more comfortable chairs (37%) and health care promotion programs (32%). Conclusion Patients chose ED services because they believed they would receive more detailed investigations and more professional medical advice than available alternatives. Clear notification of the likely waiting times and enhancement of comfort before consultation are considered desirable by patients. Enhanced public education about the role of the ED and making alternatives to ED care more accessible may be useful in reducing inappropriate ED attendances in Hong Kong.


2007 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 29 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily Mauldon

This paper reports on the attitudes of a sample of health care providers towards the use of telehealth to support rural patients and integrate rural primary health and urban hospital care. Telehealth and other information technologies hold the promise of improving the quality of care for people in rural and remote areas and for supporting rural primary health care providers. While seemingly beneficial for rural patients, study participants believed that telehealth remains underused and poorly integrated into their practice. In general, participants thought that telehealth is potentially beneficial but places constraints on their activities, and few actually used it. Published literature usually reports either on the success of telehealth pilot projects or initiatives that are well resourced and do not reflect the constraints of routine practice, or has an international focus limiting its relevance to the Australian context. Because of the paucity of systematic and generalisable research into the effects of the routine use of telehealth to support rural patients, it is unclear why health care professionals choose to provide such services or the costs and benefits they incur in doing so. Research and policy initiatives continue to be needed to identify the impact of telehealth within the context of Australian primary health care and to develop strategies to support its use.


2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 5-10
Author(s):  
Chanda Karki Bhandari ◽  
Gehanath Baral

Aims: The aim of the review is to understand the concept of abuse in health care in general and its various forms. It includes- review what is meant by healthcare and health care abuse; identify its various forms and to recognize who may be the most potential victims; find out the reasons of abuse by health care providers; and know the role of  ethical guidelines and institutional policy in confronting abuse in health care.Methods: Literatures and publications on the subject were searched in order to identify research studies investigating abuse in health care that were studied, analyzed and presented.  Results: Abuse in health care today is an emerging concept in need of a clear analysis and definition. At the same time, boundaries to the related concepts are not demarcated. Medical professionals and institutions are being targeted worldwide today for negligence and the medical litigation has become a huge challenge. Throughout history, health care professionals have been trusted because of their competency and caring abilities. However, the disturbing reality is that physical and psychological maltreatment of patients do occur in the health care settings throughout the world. The abuse can vary from treating someone with disrespect in a way which significantly affects the person's quality of life, to causing actual physical suffering. Differently able and dependent people are more susceptible to such abuse. Work overload, Staff burnout, lack of information and instructions were also indicated to underlie instances of abuse in health care.Conclusions: We in the healthcare facility should first accept that abuse in health care does occur and causes distress. This change needs to occur at individual, cultural and structural level. Next step will be for the staffs to be aware of abuse in health care when it happens and recognize it as such. It is always better to create a situation where we could prevent abuse from happening at health centers. Hospital personnel must implement a change in workplace culture to stop abusive behaviors wherever they occur. Each and every health care facility should be client friendly and respecting their rights. Effective ethical guidelines were needed to minimize abuse as existing ethical codes were found to be ineffective and above all there was a lack of awareness of the contents of the relevant ethical documents.


2017 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 851-855 ◽  
Author(s):  
Virginia S. Cowen ◽  
Robin Streit Miccio ◽  
Bijal Parikh

Massage offers cancer patients general quality of life benefits as well as alleviation of cancer-related symptoms/cancer-treatment–related symptoms including pain, anxiety, and fatigue. Little is known about whether massage is accessible to cancer patients who receive treatment in the outpatient setting and how massage is incorporated into the overall cancer treatment plan. Outpatient cancer centers (n = 78) in a single metropolitan area were included this mixed-methods project that included a systematic analysis of website information and a telephone survey. Massage was offered at only 40 centers (51.3% of total). A range of massage modalities were represented, with energy-based therapies (Reiki and Therapeutic Touch) most frequently provided. Although massage therapists are licensed health care providers in the states included in this analysis, massage was also provided by nurses, physical therapists, and other health care professionals.


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