Available in English only, this study examines patient–physician language concordance and long-term mortality.
Communication between patients and their physicians plays an essential role in quality of care. Against a backdrop of growing linguistic diversity in Canada, this study examines whether receiving care in one’s primary language is associated with better long-term survival. Using data from more than 50,000 Canadians, the authors assessed the effect of patient–physician language concordance on the risk of death, particularly among francophone, allophone and Indigenous linguistic minorities. Patients who receive medical care in their primary language appear to have a better chance of long-term survival than those who encounter language barriers in their interactions with their physician.
Researchers: Michael Reaume, Benjamin Holahan, Mathieu N. Labossière, Elaine Kilabuk, Stephanie Van Haute, Joel Nkosi, Harminder Singh, Denis Prud’homme, Sathya Karunananthan, Sharon Johnston, Lisa M. Lix
