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Loma Linda spanish-speaking story

Loma Linda Finds That Cultural Competency May Affect Patient Health

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30 November 2022 |

Researchers from Loma Linda University Health, University of California Riverside (UCR), and Riverside University Health System (RUHS) published a study in the Journal of Surgical Research entitled: “Spanish-Speaking Status: A Protective Factor in Colorectal Cancer Presentation at a Safety-Net Hospital (SNH).”

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To conduct this study, they compared information from colorectal cancer patients from September 2016 – December 2019 and then compared this data statistically to other demographic factors such as stage, insurance, cancer type, and surgery class. The results for the study were as follows:

Compared to patients who spoke other languages, Spanish-speaking patients at this SNH were more likely to have been initially seen by a surgeon in an outpatient setting rather than an initial inpatient consult, undergo an elective rather than urgent operation, and received a definitive tumor resection rather than diversion.

Spanish-speaking status was associated with a lower likelihood of emergent presentation and need for palliative surgery among SNH colorectal cancer patients. Further research is needed to determine if culturally competent infrastructure in the SNH setting translates into Spanish-speaking status as a potentially protective factor.
Much of the data was from Riverside County, where the Spanish-speaking population is around 34%, so researchers believe this could possibly account for better relationships and communication between patients and ancillary staff.
One of the researchers, Dr. Caba Molina, reported that “If providers can engage in a conversation with their patients and patients feel more connected and cared for with the shared language, then patients are more likely to follow the care pathway set out for them.”

 

 

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