Development of Dual Language Information Cards as a Tool for Communication Between Radiation Therapists and...

The establishment of an effective relationship between patient and provider is dependent upon effective communication. However, this can be difficult to achieve with patients who do not speak English as their first language. Language barriers are associated with adverse effects on quality of care, treatment outcomes, and patient and provider satisfaction. These patients are more likely to experience acute side effects and more likely to use emergency room services for problems that are treatable in primary care settings. Interpreter services and dual language providers are often used to overcome these barriers, but they are often limited by their cost and availability. The radiation therapy environment provides further challenges to overcoming these barriers by virtue of the outpatient setting and high volume of appointments. As part of their efforts to improve patient care, the British Columbia Cancer Agency (BCCA)-Vancouver Centre radiation therapy department introduced dual language cards as a tool to facilitate communication between Cantonese-speaking patients and radiation therapists. This paper outlines the method of devising and evaluating a dual language tool.