Should EMS systems be expected to deliver full scope to non-English speakers?

[AustinNative]

While I am in Paramedic school, I plan on taking Spanish every semester I can. Having a degree to start with eliminates some classes I would have to take, and frees up some time. Being in Texas, Spanish is everywhere, and having a working knowledge of the language that a great part of your demographic speaks is not only helpful to the pt, but makes me more marketable as well. I speak passable Tex-Mex, but need some formalization.

Just bought a Spanish-Medical Terms app for the Ipad, and it covers quite a bit, too.

 

[TransportJockey]

Well it would be nice but the reality is it will never happen, so we have to overcome it. We have a translation line available to us, we also have providers, police, and fire that do speak other languages so that can be helpful. I don't see it as a huge problem but it could escalate to one if you don't have the resources available.

I don't even wan't to know what happens to your food after your done arguing with the help.

COnsidering all I ordered was a Blizzard, and I watched them make it them entire time, I think I'm safe

 

[Veneficus]

I spend most of my time in non English speaking countries. I could not possibly learn all the languages I often encounter in 1 day. But I think that healthcare providers of all kinds should always use the maximum resources they can to do their best for all.

I have often said, with a physical exam you can treat a patient without talking to them. As was mentioned earlier, we are expected to treat completely incapacitated patients.

Speaking without a physical exam is utterly useless. Especially when communicating with non healthcare providers. Let's face it, medicine is both a language and culture of its own. Nobody complains when patients do not speak our language.

As for learning languages, etc. Some will find it useful, others not. But if compensation is your only motivator, I am not sure how successful that will be.

America is rather isolated in the world. With the exception of immigrant communities, there is probably not nearly the language variation there is in Europe. While the spreading of the English language was perhaps one of the greatest achievements of the British Empire, I think the idea of forcing people to learn various languages soley for communicating with one population that speaks another is perhaps a fools errand. As we saw in the past, the dominant international languages change over time. Some disappear entirely.

In the meanwhile we must do what we have to do in order to provide the best we can.

 

[Aerin-Sol]

Trust me, there will be a push to have English the official language before people of European descent become the minority in the US.

I think you mean white people, not "of European descent," as most Latinos (the fastest growing population segment) are of mixed European descent.

 

[Shishkabob]

I think you mean white people, not "of European descent," as most Latinos (the fastest growing population segment) are of mixed European descent.

No, quite sure I meant what I said.


Those of direct European descent make up the majority of the US population in its current state.

 

[Aerin-Sol]

No, quite sure I meant what I said.


Those of direct European descent make up the majority of the US population in its current state.

Thats not what you said

 

[Shishkabob]

Actually, that is pretty much exactly what I said.



Especially since "Latino" is not the same as "Hispanic".

 

[firetender]

What about the part that if you REALLY wanted to be a good medic you'd take the time to learn the basics of communicating medically in a language or languages that your population actually speaks?

Sorry...must be another thread.

 

[JJR512]

Not sure what part of Maryland the OP is from, but in Howard County, MD, there is a number we (FD-based providers) can call that will get us a translator on the line fairly quickly. Not just Spanish, but many major languages.

 

[EMSpanol]

I'm the OP...I'm from the Eastern Shore of Maryland, career provider in a relatively busy rural volunteer company. We don't have reliable cell coverage in all areas and Language Lines aren't used in EMS here. We see them in the hospitals.

firetender: I said let it rip because this is not the first forum I've posted this topic on and twice (without any input from me beyond the initial question) the forum has descended into insults on my intentions and intelligence. Like I said, no offense taken. I'm more interested in this type of discussion (which is very interesting to read btw, thanks to all so far.)

Language is a touchy subject anyway, but in EMS it is even more so because our resources are so limited and our time is so limited. We make decisions quickly and rely on the accuracy of our assessment information. So in a language barrier as we all know it can become a brick wall to progress sometimes. Is the pt clutching his chest having an AMI, a panic attack, or was he hit with a bat and has a broken rib, or was he stabbed? If it's an AMI, can we give him NTG, ASA?

Also to firetender: I disclosed my commercial interest in the topic as just that, a disclosure. If people don't feel comfortable sharing their opinion with me as the author of a book in this arena, I wanted them to know it up front. Nothing more.

Let me throw this question out there. Should we (the EMS community) make language barrier a contraindication to medication administration? Wouldn't this take the liability off the provider, who as the consensus seems to agree, shouldn't be held to the impossible standard of rendering full scope to patients who don't speak English (sorry to those who don't agree with that statement.) As it stands now, either we give medicine without exploring contraindications or withhold lifesaving medicine...we are exposed either way. And if the "system" doesn't address the question, doesn't the liability fall on the judgment of the provider?

 

[TransportJockey]

was he hit with a bat and has a broken rib, or was he stabbed?
If you can't tell the difference in this on a physical exam, no offense, but you don't need to be practicing in the field.

Let me throw this question out there. Should we (the EMS community) make language barrier a contraindication to medication administration? Wouldn't this take the liability off the provider, who as the consensus seems to agree, shouldn't be held to the impossible standard of rendering full scope to patients who don't speak English (sorry to those who don't agree with that statement.) As it stands now, either we give medicine without exploring contraindications or withhold lifesaving medicine...we are exposed either way. And if the "system" doesn't address the question, doesn't the liability fall on the judgment of the provider?

THat last part... If you want to make language a contraindication to med admin, do you feel that we shouldn't be giving any medication to a patient that is unresponsive?