Language – a vital pill missing in patients’ treatment: language barriers during cancer care through the eyes of patients and families
Purpose When serious illness occurs, effective communication is essential but challenged by language barriers. This study explores how patients with limited Danish proficiency and their families experience language barriers during cancer care in two Danish public hospitals. Method Adopting a phenome...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Taylor & Francis Group
2025-12-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health & Well-Being |
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| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/17482631.2024.2448127 |
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| author | Lisbeth Birkelund Karin Brochstedt Dieperink Morten Sodemann Johanna Falby Lindell Karina Dahl Steffensen Dorthe Susanne Nielsen |
| author_facet | Lisbeth Birkelund Karin Brochstedt Dieperink Morten Sodemann Johanna Falby Lindell Karina Dahl Steffensen Dorthe Susanne Nielsen |
| author_sort | Lisbeth Birkelund |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Purpose When serious illness occurs, effective communication is essential but challenged by language barriers. This study explores how patients with limited Danish proficiency and their families experience language barriers during cancer care in two Danish public hospitals. Method Adopting a phenomenological-hermeneutic approach, the study stresses narratives in understanding participants’ lived experiences. Accordingly, nine qualitative, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 17 informants, including nine patients and eight relatives. The interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Results Based on analysis, three themes were identified: 1) A history of pain behind the language barrier; 2) Linguistic pain—a feeling of being trapped in mother tongue; and 3) Barriers and pathways to linguistic safety. The findings reveal that painful stories were not only brought into the hospital but continued there. Painful feelings associated with being unable to communicate directly with the healthcare professionals seemed inescapable, but continuity of empathetic care providers, including professional interpreters, increased the well-being of both patients and family members. Conclusion Language barriers not only make patients more susceptible to misunderstandings and medical errors but amplify experiences of pain during cancer care. The generated knowledge from this study emphasizes language as a foundational element in advancing more equitable cancer care. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-4607aaa141544b98bf8c61937141f52a |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1748-2623 1748-2631 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-12-01 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health & Well-Being |
| spelling | doaj-art-4607aaa141544b98bf8c61937141f52a2025-01-27T11:59:10ZengTaylor & Francis GroupInternational Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health & Well-Being1748-26231748-26312025-12-0120110.1080/17482631.2024.24481272448127Language – a vital pill missing in patients’ treatment: language barriers during cancer care through the eyes of patients and familiesLisbeth Birkelund0Karin Brochstedt Dieperink1Morten Sodemann2Johanna Falby Lindell3Karina Dahl Steffensen4Dorthe Susanne Nielsen5Odense University HospitalUniversity of Southern DenmarkUniversity of Southern DenmarkUniversity of CopenhagenLillebaelt University Hospital of Southern DenmarkOdense University HospitalPurpose When serious illness occurs, effective communication is essential but challenged by language barriers. This study explores how patients with limited Danish proficiency and their families experience language barriers during cancer care in two Danish public hospitals. Method Adopting a phenomenological-hermeneutic approach, the study stresses narratives in understanding participants’ lived experiences. Accordingly, nine qualitative, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 17 informants, including nine patients and eight relatives. The interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Results Based on analysis, three themes were identified: 1) A history of pain behind the language barrier; 2) Linguistic pain—a feeling of being trapped in mother tongue; and 3) Barriers and pathways to linguistic safety. The findings reveal that painful stories were not only brought into the hospital but continued there. Painful feelings associated with being unable to communicate directly with the healthcare professionals seemed inescapable, but continuity of empathetic care providers, including professional interpreters, increased the well-being of both patients and family members. Conclusion Language barriers not only make patients more susceptible to misunderstandings and medical errors but amplify experiences of pain during cancer care. The generated knowledge from this study emphasizes language as a foundational element in advancing more equitable cancer care.http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/17482631.2024.2448127communicationlanguage barrierscancer carelinguistic painlinguistic vulnerabilitypatient involvementillness narrativesdenmark |
| spellingShingle | Lisbeth Birkelund Karin Brochstedt Dieperink Morten Sodemann Johanna Falby Lindell Karina Dahl Steffensen Dorthe Susanne Nielsen Language – a vital pill missing in patients’ treatment: language barriers during cancer care through the eyes of patients and families International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health & Well-Being communication language barriers cancer care linguistic pain linguistic vulnerability patient involvement illness narratives denmark |
| title | Language – a vital pill missing in patients’ treatment: language barriers during cancer care through the eyes of patients and families |
| title_full | Language – a vital pill missing in patients’ treatment: language barriers during cancer care through the eyes of patients and families |
| title_fullStr | Language – a vital pill missing in patients’ treatment: language barriers during cancer care through the eyes of patients and families |
| title_full_unstemmed | Language – a vital pill missing in patients’ treatment: language barriers during cancer care through the eyes of patients and families |
| title_short | Language – a vital pill missing in patients’ treatment: language barriers during cancer care through the eyes of patients and families |
| title_sort | language a vital pill missing in patients treatment language barriers during cancer care through the eyes of patients and families |
| topic | communication language barriers cancer care linguistic pain linguistic vulnerability patient involvement illness narratives denmark |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/17482631.2024.2448127 |
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