Effective communication with linguistically diverse patients: A concept analysis

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Communication
• Linguistic Diversity in Medicine
• Health Equity

Background:

• Effective communication is a cornerstone of high-quality healthcare delivery.
• Linguistic diversity presents a significant barrier to equitable healthcare access globally.
• Understanding effective communication strategies for linguistically diverse patients is critical.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine and define the concept of effective communication with linguistically diverse patients.
• To identify antecedents, attributes, consequences, and empirical referents of this communication concept.

Main Methods:

• Concept analysis using the established Walker and Avant method.
• Systematic mapping of the defined concept's components.

Main Results:

• Effective communication is defined as verbal or written exchange using accurate translation to achieve shared understanding, with active engagement from all parties.
• Key components including antecedents, attributes, consequences, and empirical referents were identified and mapped.
• The study provides a clear operational definition for effective communication in linguistically diverse healthcare settings.

Conclusions:

• Access to professional language assistance, structural racism, and policy barriers impede effective communication.
• Healthcare workers require training in cultural competency, humility, and working with interpreters.
• Institutions must invest in multimodal strategies to ensure equitable care for linguistically diverse populations.