Hwang, K., et al. (2022). Testing the use of translation apps to overcome everyday healthcare communication in Australian aged-care hospital wards—An exploratory study. Nursing Open, 9, 578–585. doi .org/10.1002/nop2.1099
Effective communication is an important aspect of providing and receiving safe and person-centred care. However, language barriers (insufficient level of English) between healthcare professionals and patients can result in poorer healthcare outcomes for the individual. The importance of professional interpreters in Australian healthcare settings is widely recognized and established within legislation and government healthcare policy. However, there are situations when professional interpreters are not available or can´t be present during a patient´s examination. Then healthcare professionals may rely on family members, bilingual staff members or resort to body language which always poses a risk. Mobile translation apps could provide an innovative solution to overcome language differences in risk-free healthcare settings in the absence of a professional interpreter. This research tested three mobile translation apps (CALD Assist, Talk To Me and Google Translate) in Australian aged-care hospital wards to address language barriers in everyday interaction between healthcare staff and the elderly with limited English proficiency (LEP). It was revealed that the use of translation apps helped to improve communication for basic care needs and assisted staff in completing their tasks.
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