Lost in Translation: How Language and Culture Affect the Perception of Care of Hmong Patients at a Midwestern Primary Care Clinic
Author(s):
Peterson, Karla C.
Format:
Thesis
Degree granted:
Ed.D.
Publisher:
Ann Arbor : University of St. Thomas (Minnesota), 2011.
Pages:
124
Language:
English
Abstract:
This qualitative case study examined perceptions of care as experienced by Hmong immigrant patients in a family medicine clinic where issues of culture and language sometimes posed communication barriers and conflict with cultural traditions and values. To determine the meaning of "care," all those involved in the care giving and receiving process – patients, physicians, nurses, medical assistants, administrators and interpreters – were interviewed and their views examined. Trust and respect are key in the perception of quality care by Hmong patients, yet the design of Western medical practices does not allow time to develop the relationships needed for trust and respect to occur. The current business model of healthcare has taken the art of medicine and changed it to a production model. Providers receive compensation for the number of patients seen and procedures completed. This model of care has caused a change in the patients' perception of care and the providers' perceptions of care. Interestingly, despite a record of poor health outcomes as compared to other populations with similar access to medical resources, Hmong patients at this family medicine clinic rated their experience as "highly satisfactory." Areas for future study might involve how the business model drives patient perception of care, how current provider compensation affects that care, and how recognition and understanding of cultural differences help define what "wellness" means to the patient.