No, I don't know of any such program, but I have an RN who comes in at talks to my ESL students, and addresses this very subject.  She tells them to ASK the doctor "WHAT DOES THAT MEAN"?   
 
She relates a story about a gentleman who came into her clinic at LWTC with a very swollen hand.  She told him to go see his doctor because it looked like it was broken.  He went to his doctor and came back the next day with a cast on his hand and a big grin on his face.  He told her that he had good news.  His hand wasn't broken; doctor said it was "fractured"~ ... she had to tell him the sad news.... fractured = broken.  The smile quickly left his face.
 
I make it a practice to tell my ESL students to ALWAYS ask questions if they don't understand, regardless of the situation, but FOR SURE if it involves their health or safety.  I'm confident that many people don't, especially the elderly and young.. and that's scary! 
 
 
If all of us , including us native English speakers, do that, the fact that many people don't understand "Doctor-ese should ultimately get through!   I do think nurses understand!
 
Mikal Steinbacher
Instructor, ABE/ESL/English
Lake Washington Technical College

________________________________

From: healthliteracy-bounces at nifl.gov on behalf of Davies, Nicola
Sent: Mon 7/21/2008 11:58 AM
To: The Health and Literacy Discussion List
Subject: [HealthLiteracy 2167] Re: Health Literacy Curriculum


I can only speak from personal experience here, and I have spoken with many patients on the matter, but some of the doctors who speak English as a second (or indeed 'other') language, is that they have only ever used medical jargon in relation to anatomy and so on. For example, the mother who was confused because the doctor said he could see the "ka-putt" instead of the "baby's head/swelling". Or the ESL physio I see who tells me to stretch my lumbar. I am willing to bet that not too many people can identify which area of their back is their lumbar area. I was even told to stretch my piriformis! After doing a fair bit of internet searching I was able to locate this and do some proper stretches. We are on fairly good terms and I have managed to let him know by doing my own modified version of the teachback model by saying things like "Oh, the very lower back" or "from the hips down?". We have made some headway - he says chest now, instead of thoracic. 
 
Has anybody ever taught a health literacy class aimed at health care professionals who speak english as a 2nd/other language? I would love to hear more about perceptions of health literacy from this demographic.
 
 
 
 
-----Original Message-----
From: healthliteracy-bounces at nifl.gov [mailto:healthliteracy-bounces at nifl.gov]On Behalf Of Randa C McNamara
Sent: Sunday, July 20, 2008 9:22 AM
To: The Health and Literacy Discussion List
Subject: [HealthLiteracy 2166] Re: Health Literacy Curriculum


This has been such a good conversation.  I work with medical students and residents on communication and what you have said is very relevant to my context and content.  This cohort of students usually speak more than one language; however their lack of ability to communicate (particularly in the area of seeing a patient as a person and not a symptom) and to get caught in medical jargon is plentiful.  

 

I have looked at the AMA material and of course I work on communication skills.  And I would love to hear from anyone who has a similar population and sees health literacy as an issue within this curricular context.  (I say that because it would seem that there would not be a need for this training tool.) Thank you.

 

Randa McNamara, AFM

Education Training Coordinator

Standardized Patient Program

Coordinator, Clinical Skills Lab

Faculty, Summer Medical and Dental Education Program (AAMC)

Duke University School of Medicine

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