Marianne Mustajoki|Tom Forsén|Timo Kauppila
The Association between Patient-Reported Pain and Doctors’ Language Proficiency in Clinical Practice
University of Helsinki|University of Helsinki|University of Helsinki
patients limited literacy language fluency different kinds cause problems navigating medical interview however known physicians native language skills affect reported intensity pain among finnish emergency patients data collected two consecutive questionnaires 16 healthcare centres outpatient departments along finnish coast swedish finnish speaking 1865yearold emergency patients eligible study patients predominantly finnish speakers patientrated poor language skills finnish among physicians ed setting increased statistically significantly pain reported finnish speaking patients dissatisfaction health service patients also less motivated adhere instructions given physician patients speaking various languages reported less degree pain foreign physicians poor language proficiency finnish expected explain patients pain experience physicians good native language skills may help reduce pain experience despite concordant language communication unknown barriers interaction might reduce magnitude pain reported