Prevalence of Language Barriers, Impacts, and Coping Strategies among Medical Students during their Clinical Rotation in Peshawar

• Published in: Razi international medical journal 2024-11, Vol.4 (2), p.91-102
• Main Authors: Afsana Lal, Raheelah Amin, Eman Fatima Shah, Leema Ibrahimi, Ayesha Ashfaq, Maseera Shakir, Shaista Shaheen, Humna Saeed, Karishma Basir, Nosaibah Razaqi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: clinical rotations; communication barrier; linguistic diversity; medical students; patient care; quality of care
• ISSN: 2790-2080; 2789-4711
• DOI: 10.56101/rimj.v4i2.164

Background: This study examines the Prevalence of Language Barriers, Impacts, and Coping Strategies among Medical Students during their Clinical Rotation in Peshawar, an area with a wide range of language diversity. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 663 medical students from six medical colleges in Peshawar to assess the prevalence, frequency, and severity of language barriers, their impact on patient interactions, and the coping mechanisms employed by students. Results: The findings indicated that 39.1% of the students faced language barriers during clinical rotations; most of them were female and non-Pashto speakers. A vast proportion (69.1%) felt that these barriers negatively affected patient care due to difficulties in obtaining proper patient history and increased miscommunication. Moreover, students with language barriers reported anxiety and frustration during patient interaction. The primary coping strategy used by students was seeking support from colleagues at 80.7%. Figures showed that only 11.9% of students received formal training to overcome language barriers. Of course, students who received language barrier training were significantly more confident in clinical interactions. Conclusion: These results suggest extreme reforms in medical curricula, such as including many languages and cultural training programs to overcome language barriers; this would better prepare the students to work in a multilingual setting, dramatically reducing communication errors, improving patient care, and enriching the education experience in diverse areas.