Page 141 - S. Ličen, I. Karnjuš, & M. Prosen (Eds.). (2019). Women, migrations and health: Ensuring transcultural healthcare. Koper, University of Primorska Press.
P. 141
Monoligual Health? Linguistic Barriers
in Slovene Healthcare Experienced
by Migrant/Refugee Women
Uršula Lipovec Čebron
University of Ljubljana, Slovenia
ursula.lipovec@ff.uni-lj.si
Lea Bombač
University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Slovenia
bombac.lea@gmail.com
Nike Kocijančič Pokorn
University of Ljubljana, Slovenia
nike.pokorn@ff.uni-lj.si
Miha Lučovnik
University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Slovenia
mihalucovnik@yahoo.com
The aim of the article is to identify the main obstacles related to the lan-
guage barriers that arise between migrants/refugee patients and healthcare
personnel in the field of gynecology and obstetrics. To identify these obsta-
cles a qualitative research was conducted from May 2017 to June 2018 among
migrant/refugees and healthcare workers in Slovenia. The results show that
first, linguistic obstacles are often the consequence of the lack of available
professional healthcare interpreters/intercultural mediators; second, the ab-
sence of training of medical personnel on linguistic dimensions of healthcare
causes inadequate awareness of interpreter’s/intercultural mediator’s role; and
third, the linguistic obstacles that migrant/refugee women face hinder their
access to basic health rights, entitlements and limitations, including reproduc-
tive rights. These obstacles significantly impair the ability of Slovene health-
care system to establish quality communication with migrant/refugee women
and may cause inequalities among foreign-speaking healthcare users in their
access to healthcare.
Introduction
European population is becoming increasingly diverse, not only due to the
presence of migrants and refugees, but also because of a growing number
of other people on the move (e.g. tourists, truck-drivers, business people or
exchange students etc.). In this situation ‘the idea of diversity has radically
changed to include other dimensions of diversity such as immigration status,
139
in Slovene Healthcare Experienced
by Migrant/Refugee Women
Uršula Lipovec Čebron
University of Ljubljana, Slovenia
ursula.lipovec@ff.uni-lj.si
Lea Bombač
University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Slovenia
bombac.lea@gmail.com
Nike Kocijančič Pokorn
University of Ljubljana, Slovenia
nike.pokorn@ff.uni-lj.si
Miha Lučovnik
University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Slovenia
mihalucovnik@yahoo.com
The aim of the article is to identify the main obstacles related to the lan-
guage barriers that arise between migrants/refugee patients and healthcare
personnel in the field of gynecology and obstetrics. To identify these obsta-
cles a qualitative research was conducted from May 2017 to June 2018 among
migrant/refugees and healthcare workers in Slovenia. The results show that
first, linguistic obstacles are often the consequence of the lack of available
professional healthcare interpreters/intercultural mediators; second, the ab-
sence of training of medical personnel on linguistic dimensions of healthcare
causes inadequate awareness of interpreter’s/intercultural mediator’s role; and
third, the linguistic obstacles that migrant/refugee women face hinder their
access to basic health rights, entitlements and limitations, including reproduc-
tive rights. These obstacles significantly impair the ability of Slovene health-
care system to establish quality communication with migrant/refugee women
and may cause inequalities among foreign-speaking healthcare users in their
access to healthcare.
Introduction
European population is becoming increasingly diverse, not only due to the
presence of migrants and refugees, but also because of a growing number
of other people on the move (e.g. tourists, truck-drivers, business people or
exchange students etc.). In this situation ‘the idea of diversity has radically
changed to include other dimensions of diversity such as immigration status,
139
