VOLUME 27, ISSUE 1

Another important consideration is that communication with our patients needs to be an ongoing process throughout the perioperative period, not just in order to obtain written consent for the anesthetic. Communication before induction, during emergence, and in the recovery room is very important in order to take better and safer care of our patients. This becomes very important during Monitored Anesthetic Care cases where sedation is titrated, and ongoing communication with the patient is vital. For physicians with limited knowledge of the language, a quick review of perioperative language that may be used during the procedure can be of benefit. A translator can be a great resource to go over these perioperative phrases during the preoperative visit. A study by Baker2 found that language barriers can affect doctor-patient relationships, even when a translator is used. Patients are less likely to fully understand their diagnoses, risks, and treatments when they do not speak the same language as their doctor. It has been found that providing patients with education handouts in their native language can help improve patient satisfaction with the perioperative process3.

At Harris Health System’s Ben Taub Hospital in Houston, all patient documents and consents are available in Spanish. Our department also developed anesthesia patient education handouts in English and Spanish in order to help better explain each type of anesthetic. These handouts are made available to our patients during the preoperative visit. In 2013, I created a new lecture/workshop for our Baylor College of Medicine first-year Anesthesiology residents titled “Spanish for Anesthesiologists”.

The objective of the session is for the residents to become familiar with doing a preoperative assessment in Spanish, explaining basic procedures, and explaining common risks and benefits to our patients. In addition, they learn perioperative phrases commonly used by Anesthesiologists, such as “take a deep breath”, “open your eyes”, and “do you have pain?” The residents get to practice in groups by performing a full preoperative assessment in Spanish. They also get a takehome handout to use as reference when needed. The residents have found the learning activity very useful due to the large number of Spanish-speaking patients they work with. Although it is not as good as being fluent in Spanish, even learning the basics can go a long way towards providing better care for our Spanish-speaking patients.

Courtesy Harris Health System

In conclusion, improving anesthesiologist-patient communication in the perioperative period is very important to help us provide better care of our patients at all times. The use of certified translators and colleagues who can assist with translation, as well as becoming more familiar with medical Spanish can help improve our doctor-patient relationships.

REFERENCES

  1. http://www.census.gov
  2. Ortiz J, Wang S, Elayda MA, Tolpin DA. Preoperative patient education: can we improve satisfaction and reduce anxiety. Rev Bras Anesthesiol 2015; 65: 7-13.
  3. Baker DW, Hayes R, Fortier JP. Interpreter use and satisfaction with interpersonal aspects of care for Spanish speaking patients. Med Care 1998; 36: 1461-70

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