Technical Meets Traditional
Language, Culture, and the Challenges Faced by Hmong Medical Interpreters
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 19462113 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Maichou Lor (0000-0001-8451-4364, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI, USA, corresponding author), Nathan Badenoch (0000-0002-2707-4961, Villanova University, Villanova, PA, USA), Mai Joua Yang (Independent Scholar, Madison, WI, USA) |
| Year | 2022 |
| Volume | 33 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 96-104 |
| Publication date | 2022-01-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Transcultural Nursing (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1043-6596 • E-ISSN: 1552-7832 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/10436596211039553 |
| PMID | 34404302 |
| OpenAlex | W3193483780 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 38 |
INTRODUCTION: Ineffective intercultural communication can occur due to inaccurate medical interpreting for limited English proficiency (LEP) patients. Research shows that Hmong patients experience poorer quality interpreter services than other LEP populations. This study's purpose is to understand Hmong medical interpreters' perceptions of the factors that affect their ability to make accurate medical interpretations during clinical encounters. METHOD: A qualitative study was conducted with Hmong-speaking medical interpreters. The interviews were semistructured, audio recorded, and analyzed using conventional content analysis. RESULTS: 13 interpreters aged 29 to 49 years participated in the study. Three factors affected the interpreters' ability to make accurate medical interpretations for Hmong-speaking patients: (a) matched gender between the interpreter and patient, (b) culturally taboo topics in communicating about reproductive body parts and sexual health/activity, and (c) culture and generational language differences between interpreters and Hmong patients. DISCUSSION: Clinical encounters that match patient-interpreter ages, gender, and/or local culture may reduce communication barriers
Health care · Intercultural communication · Interpreter · Language barrier · Linguistics · Medical education · Perception · Qualitative research · Sociology · Taboo · Communication · Computer Science · Cultural Competency in Health Care · Interpreting and Communication in Healthcare · Medicine · Migration, Health and Trauma · Nursing · Psychology
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Linguistic Diversity and Social Justice
Medical Interpreting and Cross-cultural Communication
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Errors of Medical Interpretation and Their Potential Clinical Consequences
Qualitative content analysis in nursing research
Consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research (Coreq)
The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down
Barriers to parent-child communication on sexual and reproductive health issues in East Africa
The Significance of Saturation
Systematic Review
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What is needed in culturally competent healthcare systems? A qualitative exploration of culturally diverse patients and professional interpreters in an Australian healthcare setting
The language and intercultural communication reader
Informal interpreting in general practice
Inaccurate Language Interpretation and Its Clinical Significance in the Medical Encounters of Spanish-speaking Latinos
Three Approaches to Qualitative Content Analysis
"I am not a robot!" Interpreters' Views of Their Roles in Health Care Settings
Interruptions and resistance
| Citations per year | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2025 - 2025 (1) |
| Highly cited | No |