Language barriers have been one of the most significant problems that a patient might encounter while discussing their concerns with a doctor. Likewise, the same problem persists when a doctor tries to diagnose a patient’s concern in a language that they are not familiar with.
A common language that is understood by both parties is the key to successful communication, especially in the field of healthcare, because it is most important for a doctor to understand a patient’s concern in order to prescribe them a remedy.
In an ongoing discussion on MedBound Hub, a user has posted about her experience during her first clinical posting in the third year of BDS.
The user, Vaishnavi Lakhade, said, “That day, I remember one incident involving a friend of mine. My friend didn’t know Marathi or couldn’t speak or understand Marathi. The patient she was taking history of could only speak Marathi.
Because of this, my friend found it difficult to ask questions and understand what the patient was exactly saying.”
Vaishnavi explained in her post that her friend was unable to take the history of the concerned patient because of the language barrier. The patient was not able to voice her health problems to the doctor who was taking the history, and even the doctor could not ask any follow-up questions since the patient only understood Marathi.
“This incident made me think about how something as simple as language can become a barrier between healthcare professionals and patients,” Vaishnavi mentioned.
Research published in the International Journal of Emergency Medicine in 2021 examined communication challenges in six Indian emergency departments. Of the 106 clinicians surveyed, 53% reported at least one critical incident in the preceding year in which poor communication played a part. The study identified language differences, time constraints and differences in medical knowledge among the barriers to effective communication. The findings highlight the importance of communication in patient care, although the study was limited to the participating emergency departments and does not represent all Indian hospitals. 1
Most of the Indian healthcare institutions lack dedicated medical interpreters on staff. However, hospitals naturally employ a multilingual workforce. A more viable strategy relies on establishing a curated registry of internal staff members who willingly volunteer their language skills.
However, speaking more than one language does not automatically qualify a staff member to interpret medical information. Medical interpretation requires the ability to convey information accurately, including specialised terminology, without changing or omitting its meaning. Confidentiality is also important. The US Department of Health and Human Services outlines these requirements in its guidance on qualified interpreters. 2
Relying solely on family members to interpret serious medical conversations can create risks, particularly when discussing a diagnosis, treatment options or informed consent. Family members may not have the necessary medical vocabulary or impartiality to convey information accurately. The US Department of Health and Human Services cautions against relying on family members or friends as interpreters in situations involving important medical decisions. 3
India's Ministry of Health and Family Welfare also publishes a Charter of Patients' Rights that recognises patients' rights to adequate information about their illness, proposed investigations and care, as well as informed consent before specific tests and treatments. The charter also recognises the right to confidentiality, human dignity and privacy during treatment. These principles underscore the importance of communication that patients can understand.
If only hospitals in India had better language interpretation services, then the patient’s family or relatives would not have to suffer while navigating instructions that are given by the hospital staff or the doctor.
Language barriers can also affect patient safety. A 2025 scoping review published in the Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety examined 22 studies and found that patients experiencing language barriers appeared to face risks of communication-sensitive safety events, including medication-related adverse events. However, the review reported mixed findings across different types of safety events and noted that the available evidence was limited. 5
Another user on the platform, Dr. Munish Kumar Raizada, MD, Neonatologist, commented on his experience of dealing with patients with a language barrier in the USA.
Dr. Munish commented, “In the US, we have language interpreter services uniformly available in the hospitals and clinics and outpatients for the convenience of patients.”
The US Department of Health and Human Services explains that ineffective communication can contribute to incorrect diagnoses and delayed or inappropriate medical treatment. Its resources describe language assistance services for patients with limited English proficiency and communication support for people who are deaf or hard of hearing. 6
Dr. Munish explained that Spanish speakers in the States ask to avail themselves of the language interpretation service the most in the hospitals in the USA.
“Then American Sign Language, ASL, is also one of the most frequent services sought for. Other languages requested for are Vietnamese, Russian, Korean. Hindi is not that common a language asked for because most Hindi speakers are bilingual.”
He said that the hospitals in the USA offer multiple services to cater to patients who need language interpretation during hospital visits and consultations.
He mentioned, “We have tablets or computers on wheels (COWs) provided for this reason. So we can just switch on this service and through video remote interpretation, VRI, the language interpreter helps translate patients’ communication to the doctors or the healthcare team and vice versa.”
His comment also mentioned another way for language translation, i.e., over-the-phone interpretation (OPI).
He also mentioned that on-site language interpreters help patients during hospital consultations.
There are many companies that provide language translation and interpretation services.
Together, these approaches illustrate how in-person, video and telephone interpretation can help healthcare professionals communicate with patients who do not share a common language. These services offer different options for addressing language barriers in healthcare settings.
References:
1. Douglass, Katherine, Lalit Narayan, Rebecca Allen, Jay Pandya, and Zohray Talib. “Language Diversity and Challenges to Communication in Indian Emergency Departments.” International Journal of Emergency Medicine 14, no. 1 (2021): 57. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12245-021-00380-7.
2. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights. “Guidance on Language Access and Effective Communication.”https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/ocr-dcl-section-1557-language-access.pdf
3. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights. “Guidance on Language Access and Effective Communication.”https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/ocr-dcl-section-1557-language-access.pdf
4. Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India. Charter of Patients’ Rights and Responsibilities. Updated August 23, 2021.https://clinicalestablishments.mohfw.gov.in/sites/default/files/2023-06/3181.pdf
5. Schulson, Lucy B., Jorge A. Rodriguez, Ricardo Cruz, David Flynn, and Alicia Fernandez. “Patient Safety Event Risk and Language Barriers: A Scoping Review.” The Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety 51, no. 6 (2025): 438–46.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcjq.2025.02.002
6. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights. “Effective Communication in Health Care.” https://www.hhs.gov/civil-rights/for-individuals/special-topics/hospitals-effective-communication/index.html
(Rh/ARC/MSM)