Bridging the Gap: Experiences of Healthcare Professionals in Language Barriers

Bridging the Gap: Experiences of Healthcare Professionals in Language Barriers | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Bridging the Gap: Experiences of Healthcare Professionals in Language Barriers Mohamed Irfan, PhD, Prof. Antoon Cox, Prof. Heidi Salaets, Prof. Marc Sabbe, and 1 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-8337390/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Background Medical consultation is an interactive communicative process in which the doctor and the patient take turns to formulate and allow for the construction of the interaction. Communication challenges between patients and healthcare professionals during consultations can lead to miscommunication or complete breakdowns in interaction. Language barriers are a primary contributor to these difficulties. With increasing migration, the number of non-native language-speaking patients seeking medical care has risen substantially. Aim To explore the experiences of medical and allied healthcare professionals in Belgium when encountering language barriers during patient communication in clinical settings. Method A quantitative, multilingual, cross-sectional survey study was conducted in Belgium to examine the experiences of healthcare professionals during patient interactions involving language barriers. Results A total of 179 healthcare professionals completed the survey. All respondents reported encountering patients with whom communication was hindered by language barriers. Patients’ body language and lack of responsiveness were key indicators of these barriers. The professional role of respondents significantly influenced the type of alternative communication technique employed (p = 0.00171). Speech-to-text translation was the preferred strategy, reported by 54% (n = 97) of participants, followed by ad hoc interpretation by accompanying people or other staff members. Conclusion Language barriers impact all categories of healthcare providers, regardless of their professional role—whether during treatment, registration, discharge, or medication collection. Implementing strategies such as targeted communication training, greater use of professional interpreters, and culturally adapted health education tools may help mitigate these challenges and enhance patient–provider communication. General Practice language barrier communication patient-doctor relationship medical interactions experiences Full Text Additional Declarations The authors declare no competing interests. Supplementary Files Annex1CherriesChecklist.docx Annex 1 Cherries Checklist Annex2BridgingtheGapSurvey.docx Annex 2 HCP Survey Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-8337390","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":558874406,"identity":"9cab9a1e-5702-4751-8c85-a08ebf26d3e9","order_by":0,"name":"Mohamed Irfan, PhD","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAABDElEQVRIiWNgGAWjYFACHhDBzMDGwPiAgaEigYEPKp5AhBZmAwaGMwlABrFaGEBaGNuI0KLb3nvw040KawY+6cOMnwvnpSW2sfeYSXzcwZDHj0OL2ZlzydI5Z9IZ2PiSmaVnbstJbOM5YyY58wxDsWQDDi03cgykc9sOM7Dx8B+Q5t1WkdgmkWNszNvGkLjhAE4txr9z/4G0MDP/5p0D1CL/xtj4L1DLftxazKRzG8Ba2KR5G4AOk+AxfMwIsgWnX86YWeccS+cBabHmOZZm3MaTVviwt02iWAKXLcd7jG/n1FjLyfcwM9/mqUmW7Wc/vOHAzzabPH4c3ocBHnQBCfzqR8EoGAWjYBTgBQBD9lGn1MqkJAAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6032-5953","institution":"Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Academic Centre for General Practice, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Mohamed","middleName":"","lastName":"Irfan","suffix":"PhD"},{"id":558874992,"identity":"3e43994f-8733-4798-98ab-af2f28c5ab29","order_by":1,"name":"Prof. Antoon Cox","email":"","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2261-1721","institution":"Faculty of Arts, Research Group Interpreting Studies, KU Leuven, Antwerp, Belgium","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Prof.","middleName":"Antoon","lastName":"Cox","suffix":""},{"id":558874993,"identity":"36e2da22-f8ae-48a9-9046-7e82efed3543","order_by":2,"name":"Prof. Heidi Salaets","email":"","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0148-4188","institution":"Faculty of Arts, Research Group Interpreting Studies, KU Leuven, Antwerp, Belgium","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Prof.","middleName":"Heidi","lastName":"Salaets","suffix":""},{"id":558874994,"identity":"cf1c6cb4-0450-472a-bdeb-38fe5fc08e57","order_by":3,"name":"Prof. Marc Sabbe","email":"","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7599-5642","institution":"Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Research unit Emergency Medicine, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Prof.","middleName":"Marc","lastName":"Sabbe","suffix":""},{"id":558874995,"identity":"5b3d91a6-448a-4938-9743-92ece14c187a","order_by":4,"name":"Prof. Birgitte Schoenmakers","email":"","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1909-9613","institution":"Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Academic Centre for General Practice, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Prof.","middleName":"Birgitte","lastName":"Schoenmakers","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2025-12-11 13:51:34","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":{"humanSubjects":true,"vertebrateSubjects":false,"conflictsOfInterestStatement":false,"humanSubjectEthicalGuidelines":true,"humanSubjectConsent":true,"humanSubjectClinicalTrial":false,"humanSubjectCaseReport":false,"vertebrateSubjectEthicalGuidelines":false},"doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8337390/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-8337390/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":98038518,"identity":"a016ab9d-fd91-438d-8592-3e581916c913","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-12-12 06:44:01","extension":"docx","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":129149,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"MainManuscriptBridgingtheGapSurvey.docx","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8337390/v1/cbbd5d661eefe6f6292394b0.docx"},{"id":98038513,"identity":"c9ba904a-822c-48bd-afb9-be7e8f86adfc","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-12-12 06:43:59","extension":"json","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":342,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"rs8337390.json","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8337390/v1/837145648c931b0c49baad0e.json"},{"id":98038519,"identity":"c60e7e08-f1b8-458f-8329-d2e7b34cfce3","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-12-12 06:44:12","extension":"xml","order_by":2,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":141372,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"rs83373900enriched.xml","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8337390/v1/ee4c417d7e0c247f30ee8337.xml"},{"id":98038524,"identity":"2584d40a-2169-4ae2-af72-9dbfafc2edb7","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-12-12 06:44:26","extension":"xml","order_by":3,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":138657,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"rs83373900structuring.xml","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8337390/v1/603ce1b4bc9c89cefaa9e756.xml"},{"id":98427125,"identity":"0254fc85-bb7b-437d-aaaf-1496169b69e0","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-12-17 16:39:40","extension":"html","order_by":4,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":151504,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"earlyproof.html","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8337390/v1/e053426d0226a1c18c02780e.html"},{"id":98623100,"identity":"63f92ec5-a13d-4653-beab-799348c7b470","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-12-19 17:04:33","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":505994,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"MainManuscriptBridgingtheGapSurvey.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8337390/v1_covered_043b0757-2fc6-4bd0-850e-ec3d27f49d78.pdf"},{"id":98426820,"identity":"88996d5d-b19a-4f69-9369-1060fa691e0e","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-12-17 16:38:48","extension":"docx","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"supplement","size":28689,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eAnnex 1 Cherries Checklist\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"Annex1CherriesChecklist.docx","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8337390/v1/235a3b874ebdf18b54abb505.docx"},{"id":98038516,"identity":"18d40e63-4f07-4bf6-99ed-be6b3002faf1","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-12-12 06:44:00","extension":"docx","order_by":2,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"supplement","size":30934,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eAnnex 2 HCP Survey\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"Annex2BridgingtheGapSurvey.docx","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8337390/v1/ce6264cfa76ec578980c9d85.docx"}],"financialInterests":"The authors declare no competing interests.","formattedTitle":"\u003cp\u003eBridging the Gap: Experiences of Healthcare Professionals in Language Barriers\u003c/p\u003e","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":true,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"KU Leuven","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"language barrier, communication, patient-doctor relationship, medical interactions, experiences","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8337390/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-8337390/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003ch2\u003eBackground\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eMedical consultation is an interactive communicative process in which the doctor and the patient take turns to formulate and allow for the construction of the interaction. Communication challenges between patients and healthcare professionals during consultations can lead to miscommunication or complete breakdowns in interaction. Language barriers are a primary contributor to these difficulties. With increasing migration, the number of non-native language-speaking patients seeking medical care has risen substantially.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eAim\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eTo explore the experiences of medical and allied healthcare professionals in Belgium when encountering language barriers during patient communication in clinical settings.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eMethod\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eA quantitative, multilingual, cross-sectional survey study was conducted in Belgium to examine the experiences of healthcare professionals during patient interactions involving language barriers.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eResults\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eA total of 179 healthcare professionals completed the survey. All respondents reported encountering patients with whom communication was hindered by language barriers. Patients\u0026rsquo; body language and lack of responsiveness were key indicators of these barriers. The professional role of respondents significantly influenced the type of alternative communication technique employed (p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.00171). Speech-to-text translation was the preferred strategy, reported by 54% (n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;97) of participants, followed by ad hoc interpretation by accompanying people or other staff members.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eConclusion\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eLanguage barriers impact all categories of healthcare providers, regardless of their professional role\u0026mdash;whether during treatment, registration, discharge, or medication collection. Implementing strategies such as targeted communication training, greater use of professional interpreters, and culturally adapted health education tools may help mitigate these challenges and enhance patient\u0026ndash;provider communication.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Bridging the Gap: Experiences of Healthcare Professionals in Language Barriers","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2025-12-12 06:43:51","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8337390/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"5a6ef5a4-f711-4338-ac28-1f226efae30f","owner":[],"postedDate":"December 12th, 2025","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"posted","subjectAreas":[{"id":59495105,"name":"General Practice"}],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2025-12-12T06:43:52+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2025-12-12 06:43:51","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-8337390","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-8337390","identity":"rs-8337390","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"8U1c8b4HqxoKbykW_rLl7","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}