Language and Health: Investigating Patient-Provider Communications among Puerto Ricans (A Pilot Study) Open Access

Abstract

This pilot study aims to evaluate how choice and use of language within patient-provider communications

affect how Puerto Rican asthmatic respondents perceive the progression of their chronic health condition.

Language concordant communication in the health care setting has been cited as an influential factor

contributing to overall patient satisfaction as depicted by patient compliance and intimate patient-provider

relationships. In this study, self-described bilingual Puerto Ricans with chronic asthma were asked to

respond to open-ended questions about their linguistic experiences while being treated for asthma in a

medical setting with the expectation that the use of their preferred language in the medical setting would

improve patient-provider communications as well as overall satisfaction with care for their chronic

condition. However, the current set of respondent narratives revealed that language ideology,

codeswitching, and institutional talk were three influential themes affecting all respondents’ linguistic

practices in the medical setting, as well as in daily life. In particular, four of the respondents reported

bilingual medical encounters which prompted explicit analysis as well as suggestions for future research

on this sociolinguistic phenomenon.

Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION (1-6)

LITERATURE REVIEW (7)

Linguistic and Cultural Concordance (7-9)

Personal Care and Patient Satisfaction (9-11)

Linguistic History of Puerto Rico and Bilingualism (11-14)

Language Ideology (15-20)

METHODOLOGY (20-22)

Figure 1: PARTICIPANT CHARACTERISTICS (22)

FINDINGS (23)

DISCUSSION (24)

Language Ideology (24-33)

Multilingualism and Codeswitching (33-39)

Institutional Talk (39-43)

CONCLUSION (43)

Reflections and Limitations (43-47)

Summary (47-48)

Suggestions for Future Research (48-49)

APPENDIX (49-51)

BIBLIOGRAPHY (51-58)

About this Honors Thesis

Rights statement

• Permission granted by the author to include this thesis or dissertation in this repository. All rights reserved by the author. Please contact the author for information regarding the reproduction and use of this thesis or dissertation.

School	Emory College
Department	Spanish and Portuguese
Degree	B.A.
Submission	Honors Thesis
Language	English
Research Field	Health Sciences, Public Health Sociology, Sociolinguistics Language, Linguistics
Keyword	Bilingualism Puerto Rico Patient-Provider Communication Metro Atlanta Language Ideology Institutional Talk Codeswitching
Committee Chair / Thesis Advisor	Clarke, H. Robyn, Emory University
Committee Members	Tamasi, Susan, Emory University Marsilli-Vargas, Xochitl , Emory University

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