Given the diversity of our Texas population, health care providers are continuously searching for resources to assist them with everyday communication and health literacy. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is a here to assist you with resources. In addition, CDC is always ready to accept feedback and learn from health care providers on implementing positive changes to make health information accurate, accessible, and actionable and health services people can understand and use. The CDC’s health literacy web site is a place that provides information, tools, and links on health literacy research, practice, and evaluation for public health topics and situations.
Providers can increase communication effectiveness when they learn to recognize and bridge cultural differences that may contribute to miscommunication. Doctors, nurses, dentists, epidemiologists, and other public health and healthcare workers belong to professional cultures with their own languages that often aren’t the everyday language of most people. When these professionals want to share information, their jargon may have an even greater effect when limited literacy and cultural differences are part of the communication exchange with patients, caregivers, and other healthcare workers. Review the Find Training section of this website for courses in culture and communication.
Translation and Interpretation Are Necessary but Not Complete Solutions - Translated materials and interpreter services can help bridge language differences, but translations and interpreter services may not be fully accurate or complete. Not all languages have words for something that exists in other languages and cultures, and not all words and ideas can be easily translated into or explained in another language. Or, people may have weak literacy and numeracy skills in their native language, and translated materials are too complex or technical for them. The interpreter may not be fully attuned to the need for everyday language, making it difficult for the client to fully comprehend the information. The context for communication, such as the physical location or people’s shared or different experiences, may also affect the meaning of translated and interpreted words. The intended meaning may be lost, causing confusion even when everyone involved in the communication exchange believes they understand what is being said.
Organizations Can Support Cross-Cultural Communication and Language Access - The National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) launched a resource for people who work with health disparity populations with limited English proficiency: the Language Access Portal (LAP). The LAP contains information, in multiple languages, for six disease areas where major health disparities have been identified in non-English speaking populations. The portal supports NIH’s comprehensive Language Access Plan by providing access to reliable cross-cultural and linguistically appropriate health information from NIH and other federal agencies. The National Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS) Standards can help organizations address the cultural and language differences between the people who provide information and services and the people they serve. The principal standard is to provide effective, equitable, understandable and respectful quality care and services that are responsive to diverse cultural health beliefs and practices, preferred languages, health literacy and other communication needs.
Organizations can use the Guide to Providing Effective Communication and Language Assistance Services to help communication between those who provide and receive care in a health care facility. Federal agencies, and potentially organizations that receive federal funds, must create and follow plans to meet the needs of people with Limited English Proficiency. On November 3, 2015 the U.S. Census Bureau released a set of new tables reporting at least 350 languages that U.S. residents speak in their homes. These tables show the number of speakers of each language and the number who speak English less than “very well” — which is a common measure of English proficiency.
The best way to make sure of translation and interpreter quality is to select and match certified translators and interpreters with the primary audience. The American Translators Association has information on the certification process. A good match between translator or interpreter and primary audience happens when the translator or interpreter uses information about the language preferences, communication expectations, and health literacy skills of the audience to create appropriate messages and materials.
Health professionals and educators can use the Primer for teaching cultural competency. The Primer: Cultural Competency and Health Literacy guide provides teaching tools to improve cross-cultural communications skills, deliver culturally and linguistically appropriate healthcare services to diverse populations, and develop programs and policies to improve health outcomes and reduce health disparities. Get more information on tools for Cross-Cultural Communication by visiting Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Culture and Health Literacy webpage.
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CDC aims to bring you timely information about the work of CDC and other organizations to improve health literacy. CDC’s work aligns with the goals and strategies of the National Action Plan to Improve Health Literacy [666 KB, 73 pages], CDC’s Action Plan to Improve Health Literacy and the federal Plain Writing Act.
Please visit CDC often and let them know what information you’d like to see on the site.