Interpreters' experiences of general practitioner-patient encounters

Area of Science:

• Medical Sociology
• Healthcare Communication
• Cross-Cultural Studies

Background:

• Effective communication is vital in healthcare, especially in diverse patient populations.
• Interpreters play a critical role in bridging communication gaps in primary healthcare settings.
• Understanding interpreter challenges is key to optimizing the general practitioner (GP)-patient relationship.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the experiences and challenges faced by interpreters in cross-cultural communication.
• To specifically examine these challenges within the context of general practitioner (GP)-patient encounters.
• To identify areas for improvement in interpreter-assisted healthcare consultations.

Main Methods:

• Focus-group interviews were conducted with authorized interpreters.
• A phenomenographic approach was employed for data analysis.
• The study was situated within a primary healthcare setting.

Main Results:

• Interpreters reported difficulties in managing the GP-patient-interpreter triad.
• Challenges included defining the interpreter's role relative to other healthcare staff.
• Time constraints during translation and navigating diverse health beliefs/cultural inequalities were significant issues.

Conclusions:

• Interpreters encounter distinct difficulties in cross-cultural healthcare communication.
• These challenges require attention to enhance the quality of GP-patient interactions.
• Highlighting interpreter experiences can lead to more effective cross-cultural healthcare delivery.