Posted on 09/30/2006 6:47:59 AM PDT by calcowgirl
Bill carried by Oropeza requires Web site help for those lacking English proficiency.
SACRAMENTO -- Describing ailments to a physician is difficult enough when you have a full grasp of English.
Encouraging a parent to go to the doctor can be a trying task, particularly if there are cultural barriers that make visits uncomfortable.
And a misunderstanding runs the risk of a misdiagnosis.
But soon, help in overcoming language and cultural barriers to proper health care for California's vast diverse populations may be just a click away.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed legislation Friday that will require the Medical Board of California to compile and post on its Web site the ethnic background and foreign language proficiency of doctors by ZIP code.
"If patients and doctors have language difficulty, or miss subtle cultural clues, important medical information could be missed," said Assemblywoman Jenny Oropeza, a Carson Democrat who carried the bill.
The measure received endorsements from broad interests, from medical professionals to those who serve California's various ethnic populations.
"For Latinos and many other communities of color, the prospect of finding providers that speak their language is fairly bleak," said Layla Razavi, a policy analyst for the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund.
The California Medical Association said "effective communication with patients is essential to quality care and assuring a patient's compliance with treatment plans."
The medical association noted that, while California's patients are more diverse, "one of the greatest impediments to the effective delivery of health care is the shortage of cultural and linguistic diversity of physicians and surgeons to meet the demand."
One out of two patients walking into community clinics and health centers has limited English-speaking skills, according to the California Primary Care Association.
"For this reason, we understand the importance of ensuring that patients' language and cultural needs are met and that information about the cultural and linguistic capacity of providers in California would assist patients in accessing these language services," the primary care representatives said in a letter of support.
In signing Assembly Bill 2283, Schwarzenegger said, "I am proud to sign this bill that builds on efforts to ensure that Californians, particularly non-English speakers, have access to physicians with whom they share a cultural affinity or that are fluent in their language of choice."
Never mind learning English, we will provide translated text and interpretations where needed. And remember, this is provided at no cost to you.
So, what about when we took M Jr. to the ER and the doctor didn't speak English? Huh? How about a bill requiring English?
I don't really have a problem with this. Yes, it will cost a few bucks but we could save some money by cutting translators in courts etc. Use this as the national 'universal translator'.
I would like to think English will remain the national language for centuries to come but its a very different world now. Demographics, the internet, cable tv, and multi-culturalism are driving forces that now make it possible for almost anyone to go almost anywhere and not assimilate properly if you really don't want to.
Why is it that "latinos" seem to be the only foreigners who can't learn to speak English?
One out of two patients walking into community clinics and health centers has limited English-speaking skills, according to the California Primary Care Association.
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Unchecked "immigration" can produce these kind of results, I hear.
Best to just bend over backwards to accommodate them, it seems like everyone else gets accommodated in this state except legal citizens.
What is Spanish for, "Get your sorry @$$ back across that border before we 'accidentally' amptutate something that you value highly!"?
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." -Manuel II Paleologus
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