Language and communication problems in an Asian community

Abstract

A survey of general practitioners working in an area of immigrant concentration was undertaken to find out about their contacts with the Asian community. An earlier study had shown that Pakistani women mostly spoke little or no English and that they had strict ideas of modesty, which suggested problems for the health services.

Questionnaires were sent to 44 doctors and 39 (89 per cent) replied. To the question of language difficulty, 11 doctors answered that they could speak at least one Asian language, the remainder said they relied on patients' relatives to interpret. On frequency and length of consultations, more than half the doctors felt that Asians consulted more often and took up more time than English patients. Reluctance on the part of Asian women to be examined was reported by 30 doctors. However, the commonest comments volunteered by the general practitioners were not about language or modesty but about their Asian patients' tendency to complain of trivial ailments, while on the other hand they presented less often with psychosocial problems. A connection between the language barrier and apparently unnecessary complaining is postulated. It is also recommended that interpreting facilities and liaison workers should be made known to general practitioners.