Communication challenges experienced by migrants with cancer: A comparison of migrant and English‐speaking Australian‐born cancer patients

• Published in: Health expectations : an international journal of public participation in health care and health policy 2017-10, Vol.20 (5), p.886-895
• Main Authors: Hyatt, Amelia, Lipson‐Smith, Ruby, Schofield, Penelope, Gough, Karla, Sze, Ming, Aldridge, Lynley, Goldstein, David, Jefford, Michael, Bell, Melanie L., Butow, Phyllis
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Anxiety; Australia; Cancer; Cancer patients; Cantonese; Care and treatment; Clinical information; Clinical outcomes; Clinics; Communication; Communication Barriers; Communications systems; Comparative analysis; Country of birth; Cross-Sectional Studies; Cultural Competency; Demographics; Demography; Ethnicity; Evidence-based medicine; Female; Health disparities; Health education; Health information; Health literacy; Health problems; Health services; Health Services Accessibility; Health status; healthcare; Human communication; Humans; Language; Male; Mandarin; Medical research; Medicine, Experimental; Middle Aged; migrant; Migrants; Morbidity; Mortality; Neoplasms - ethnology; Neoplasms - psychology; Oncology; Original Research Paper; Original Research Papers; Patient communication; Patient Education as Topic; Patient Preference - psychology; Patient Satisfaction - ethnology; Patients; Psychological distress; Public health; Qualitative Research; Socioeconomic Factors; Stress (Psychology); Stress, Psychological - ethnology; Stress, Psychological - psychology; Surveys; Teams; Transients and Migrants - psychology; Understanding; Young Adult
• ISSN: 1369-6513; 1369-7625
• DOI: 10.1111/hex.12529

Objectives Understanding the difficulties faced by different migrant groups is vital to address disparities and inform targeted health‐care service delivery. Migrant oncology patients experience increased morbidity, mortality and psychological distress, with this tentatively linked to language and communication difficulties. The objective of this exploratory study was to investigate the communication barriers and challenges experienced by Arabic, Greek and Chinese (Mandarin and Cantonese) speaking oncology patients in Australia. Methods This study employed a cross‐sectional design using patient‐reported outcome survey data from migrant and English‐speaking Australian‐born patients with cancer. Patients were recruited through oncology clinics and Australian state cancer registries. Data were collected regarding patient clinical and demographic characteristics and health‐care and communication experiences. Data from the clinics and registries were combined for analysis. Results Significant differences were found between migrant groups in demographic characteristics, communication and health‐care experiences, and information and care preferences. Chinese patients cited problems with understanding medical information, the Australian health‐care system, and communicating with their health‐care team. Conversely, Arabic‐ and Greek‐speaking patients reported higher understanding of the health‐care system, and less communication difficulties. Conclusions Our study findings suggest that migrant groups differ from each other in their health communication expectations and requirements. Lower education and health literacy of some groups may play a role in poorer health outcomes. Public health interventions and assistance provided to migrants should be tailored to the specific needs and characteristics of that language or cultural group. Future research directions are discussed.