Use of translated written material to communicate with non-English speaking patients

Abstract

gravity forward increasing the frequency of falling over. However, the relation of vertebral deformities with risk of fracture was independent of frequency of falling. Secondly, and we believe more likely, vertebral deformities may reflect impaired bone strength in the whole skeleton since the relation was independent of bone mineral density. We conclude that by assessing the degree of spinal deformity patients with a fourfold increased risk of future non-vertebral fractures can be identified.1 Cooper C, Campion G, Melton U III. Hip fractures in the elderly: a world-wide projection. Osteoporosis Int 1992;2:285-9. 2 Consensus development conference: prophylaxis and treatment of osteoporosis. We wish to use the information from our study to try to improve our language service. We have produced audio tapes of some information3 and are also working on video tapes in different languages. We believe that producing information in these forms is a better use of resources than simply providing written information. If written information is often unhelpful in the elective setting it will be more so in the acute setting. Purchasers should therefore recognise the value of interpreting services in areas such as labour suites and casualty units. They must also realise, however, that these services would need to be adequately resourced.We acknowledge the help of the liaison workers

Inhaler technique in Turkish people with poor English: a case of information discrimination?

“…This supports others [3,16] who have concluded that it is simplistic to propose that written translation alone is the answer to the language barrier when providing medicines information. The Turkish inhaler-users in our study were mostly literate in their mother tongue but the assumption that if you can speak a language then you can read it is not necessarily true [13], either for native English speakers or for foreigners.…”

Musculoskeletal pain is more generalised among people from ethnic minorities than among white people in Greater Manchester

“…We did not ascertain the proportion of the study group who had not responded initially because of language or literacy problems, but levels of knowledge of English and literacy are relatively low among the elderly and among women in some ethnic minority communities. 19 20 We compared the two administration methods by interviewing 55 people who had previously responded by post. The results supported the decision to analyse postal and interview responses together.…”

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“…17 Many of the Pakistani families speak little or no English and have communication difficulties. These parents are given information about the causes of deafness, the importance of early detection of hearing loss, and use of hearing aids using Urdu/Punjabi speaking liaison workers and genetic counsellors so that they could understand and accept early intervention and habilitation programmes.…”