Project

Oncotolk. An expolorative study on communication problems in interpreter-mediated consultations with migrant oncology patients.

Code
365l02318
Duration
01 October 2018 → 30 September 2022
Funding
Funding by bilateral agreement (private and foundations)
Promotor
Research disciplines
  • Social sciences
    • Education curriculum
  • Medical and health sciences
    • Social medical sciences
Keywords
migrant oncology patient
 
Project description

The ultimate goal of this project is to optimize the provision of care for migrant cancer patients and their families who need to rely on interpreters. We will do so by creating the conditions that enable both patients and theis next of kin to better understand the information provided to them in order for them to be able to be involved in the process of shared decision-making. This means that we aim to improve the interaction between patients, their next of kin, interpreters and doctors during interpreter-mediated consultations and the interaction between doctors ant interpreters during collaboration by offering to all of them evidence-based recommendations on how to interact with each other during the interpreter-mediated consultation. It should be clarified at this stage that in this study, we perceive patients and family members attending the consultation as a single recipient of the doctor's communication. Therefore, in this study, we also include family members whose behaviour during the consultation and understanding after the consultation well be investigated next to the patient's own behaviour and understanding. 

The specific objectives of this project are: to identify all communication problems in interpreter-mediated consultations in oncology settings, as currently recorded in the existing literature; to gain practice-based insights into the interactional and communicative processes and resources (both verbal and non-verbal) which cancer patients, their family members attending the consultation, clinicians and interpreters employ; to gain practice-based insights into the reasons behind interactional processes and communicative resources (both verbal and non-verbal) which cancer patients, their family members attending the consultation, clinicians and interpreters employ; to gain practice-based insights into the impact of the interactional processes and communicative resources (both verbal and non-verbal) which cancer patients, their family members, doctors and interpreters employ, on healthcare delivery.

The immediate outcome we strive for is: to develop a set of evidence-based and ready-to-use recommendations for cancer patients and their families on communicating through an interpreter with their doctors throughout the disease trajectory; to develop a set of evidence-based recommendations on interpreter-mediated communication with cancer patients. These will be integrated into undergraduate and postgraduate education for medical students and interpreting students, doctors and interpreters aiming to prevent communication problems in this specific setting.