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Communication Cards for Chinese-Speaking Patients in the Emergency Department: Patient and Clinician Experiences
Introduction:
Communication barriers between English-speaking health care professionals and Chinese-speaking patients are especially pronounced in the emergency department, where interpreter services are often inaccessible during rapid clinical interactions. This project aimed to determine the feasibility and acceptability of novel Chinese communication cards for improving communication with Chinese-speaking patients in the emergency department.
Methods:
A quality improvement project was conducted in an urban emergency department that serves a large Chinese-speaking patient population from December 2023 to July 2024. The intervention consisted of novel communication cards displaying common questions and requests in English and Chinese with accompanying illustrations. Both health care professionals and Chinese-speaking patients were surveyed regarding their use of the cards to inform future iterations. Quantitative and qualitative survey data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and content analysis, respectively.
Results:
The patient survey was completed voluntarily by 125 participants. Most participants (94%, n = 117) agreed or strongly agreed that the patient card improved communication with health care teams, improved their ED experience (92%, n = 115), and would recommend the patient card to others (95%, n = 119). Qualitative themes included high satisfaction, convenience, autonomy, and inclusivity. The clinician survey was completed anonymously by 75 participants, most of whom were nurses (57%, n = 43). Among the 62 clinicians who reported having used the card, most found it very helpful or extremely helpful (74%, n = 46) and were likely or extremely likely to continue using it (87%, n = 54). Qualitative themes included simplicity, functionality, and timeliness.
Discussion:
This low-cost intervention was a feasible and acceptable strategy for improving communication and satisfaction among Chinese-speaking patients and health care professionals in the emergency department.
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