The number of refugees residing in the United States fluctuates depending on the political instability of other nations and the urgency of the problems these individuals face. Their cultural and language background, if they are highly different from the American’s, may be challenging for the U.S. healthcare systems. This is especially true for refugees with limited English proficiency (LEP), which are more than 3 million, as their language barrier prevents them from accurately following the physician’s information (Feinberg et al., 2020). Helping them learn a language and promoting healthcare-related materials to increase their health literacy is crucial to solving these issues.
For refugees, the intricacy of the U.S. healthcare system may be complex, especially for those unfamiliar with the system’s complexities. Cultural elements and experiences can also affect how refugees view healthcare. Examples are the stigma associated with mental health or conventional healing methods that may impede refugees from seeking help or adhering to treatment regimens. Even if they stay in the U.S. for a long time, their situation does not always improve, indicating their health literacy and healthcare access remain low (Feinberg et al., 2020). It is imperative to address these cultural and language aspects to improve the healthcare experiences of refugees in the U.S. and ensure they receive appropriate care.
Therefore, communication barriers can have a negative impact on healthcare, especially among LEP refugees. Among refugees coming into the U.S., a significant proportion is LEP, whose population health is much worse than in other populations. A lack of language proficiency and cultural barriers affect health literacy, as patients are less likely to follow physician directives if they cannot correctly understand the provided procedures. Their difficulties perceiving medical information and limited access to healthcare services often lead to poor health outcomes. Therefore, improving their language and cultural proficiency and increasing their health literacy are crucial factors in enhancing the refugee population’s health.
Reference
Feinberg, I., O’Connor, M. H., Owen-Smith, A., Ogrodnick, M. M., & Rothenberg, R. (2020). The relationship between refugee health status and language, literacy, and time spent in the United States. HLRP: Health Literacy Research and Practice, 4(4). Web.