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Un Poquito
Warren J. Ferguson
PREFACE: Language is the currency of health care. Exchanging information, expressing emotion, instructing patients, and providing health education all occur through the medium of language. In the United States, traditionally this perspective was clear but of little importance: everybody spoke English. Today that circumstance is rapidly changing, with high levels of immigration into this country from all quarters of the world. Although English remains the principal language of the givers of care, it is not the language of many recipients of care. Now issues of linguistic ability, appropriate interpretation, telephonic "language lines," and patient privacy are all in play in ways they never were before. Physician Warren Ferguson, speaking for legions of well-intentioned caregivers, sets the stage in his essay by reprising his career-long effort to learn Spanish well enough to make his Spanish-speaking patients and himself comfortable in exam-room dialogue. Then Nataly Kelly, a veteran Spanish-English interpreter, shares her experiences about provider sensitivity, patient vulnerability, and telephone interpreting. She is an active eavesdropper—and involved participant—in the practice of bilingual medicine, and her insights are many.
| The first 100 words of the full text of this article appear below. |
A YOUNG, PETITE Honduran woman was seated next to the small desk in the exam room. Her name, according to the chart, was Sonia Aponte, and she appeared nervous. I smiled while making eye contact and introduced myself, "Buenos días, Señora Aponte. Me llamo Dr. Ferguson." Within a fraction of a second she responded, "I no speak English." I repeated my introduction and the anxiety eased from her face. "Oh, doctor, habla usted Español?" My response was qualified: "Sí, yo hablo un poquito de Español pero a veces, necesito ayuda." ("Yes, I speak a . . . [Full Text of this Article] |
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What I Learned From Señora Aponte
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       What's this?
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