How do hospitalised patients with Turkish migration background estimate their language skills and their comprehension of medical information – a prospective cross-sectional study and comparison to native patients in Germany to assess the language barrier and the need for translation

Abstract

BackgroundToday more than two million people with Turkish migration background live in Germany making them the largest ethnic minority in the country. Data concerning language skills and the perception of medical information in hospitalised patients with Turkish migration background (T) are scarce. Our study is the first to gather quantitative information on this important subject.MethodsT and hospitalised German patients without migration background (G) of our university hospital were prospectively included into a cross-sectional study and completed a questionnaire - each group in the appropriate language (T: Turkish, G: German).Results121 T and 121 G were included. Groups significantly differed in age (T: 44.9 ± 17.8, G: 56.9 ± 16.7y) and proportion of males (T: 37.2, G: 54.5%) but not regarding the proportion of college graduates (T: 19.3, G: 15.7%). The majority of T was born in Turkey (71%) and is of Turkish nationality (66%). 74% of T speak mainly Turkish at home; however, 73% speak German at work. 74.4% of T self-rated their German linguistic proficiency as “average” or better while 25.6% reported it as “very bad” or “bad”. 10.7% of T need translation in order to pursue everyday activities. T were significantly less satisfied with the physician’s information on disease and estimated to understand significantly less of what the physician told them: 46.3% of T estimated their reception of the physician’s information to be “average” or worse. 43.3% of T had the impression that it would have helped them “much” or “very much” to be aided by an interpreter at the hospital. The information transmitted while giving informed consent to invasive medical procedure was judged to be “mostly” or “completely” sufficient by the majority of T (76%) and G (89.8%). In this setting 37 of 96 T (38.5%) reported being helped by an interpreter – in most cases (64.9%) a family member.ConclusionAlthough the majority of patients with Turkish migration background have spent most of their lives in Germany (28.94 ± 10.41y) a large part of this population has limited German language skills and difficulties obtaining medical information when hospitalised.

Determinants of having no general practitioner in Germany and the influence of a migration background: results of the German health interview and examination survey for adults (DEGS1)

“…54.3% of participants with a migration background did not speak German as first language and especially the communication about medical symptoms and terminology might be complicated in another language [ 28 ]. In Germany the costs for professional interpreters are not reimbursed in GP practices and have to be paid by the patient [ 29 ].…”

Sonographic Assessment of Spleen Size in Turkish Migrants With Familial Mediterranean Fever in Germany

“…Familial Mediterranean fever is a rare condition in Germany, and a longer delay between first symptoms of FMF and initiation of colchicine treatment in Germany compared to Turkey (14.2 ± 10.2 versus 6.8 ± 8.7 years; P < .001) has been described 19 . Possible language barriers for Turkish migrants accessing the German health care system 10 might also contribute to FMF‐associated generalized peritonitis and acute febrile attacks 1 , 2 being mistaken for appendicitis. Unremarkable findings at laparotomy or removal of an uninflamed appendix supports the diagnosis of FMF 2 .…”

Unterschiede zwischen deutsch- und türkischsprachigen Teilnehmenden an einem strukturierten Herzinsuffizienz-Versorgungsmodell

“…Diese Ergebnisse weichen von bisherigen Versorgungsforschungsansätzen mit Einschluss vorwiegend türkischsprachiger Patienten im Krankenhauskontext ab. Diese zeigen zwar auch Nachteile für Patienten mit türkischem Migrationshintergrund, die jedoch nicht so drastisch ausfielen wie die hier vorliegenden Bildungsunterschiede [16]. Werden neben bilingualen Fragebogen auch mündliche türkisch-sprachige Interviews zum Einschluss von Betroffenen mit geringem Alphabetisierungsgrad angeboten, zeigen sich vergleichbare Bildungsgrade [17].…”