Research into the problems faced by and support given to non-Japanese speakers in need of perinatal care: From an analysis of the deliveries in one hospital over a 12-year period
- VernacularTitle:日本語によるコミュニケーションが困難な外国人妊産婦の周産期医療上の問題点と支援に関する研究－一医療機関における12年間の分娩事例の分析より－
- Author:
Chihiro INOUE
;
Mitsuaki MATSUI
;
Setsuko LEE
;
Yasuhide NAKAMURA
;
Shigeki MINOURA
;
Hiroshi USHIJIMA
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
Pregnant foreign women;
Linguistic communication;
Perinatal care;
Informed consent;
Medical interpreters
- From:Journal of International Health
2006;21(1):25-32
- CountryJapan
- Language:Japanese
-
Abstract:
This study aims to analyze the perinatal care provided to non-Japanese speakers in one hospital in Tokyo from 1990 to 2001. It attempts to identify critical issues in perinatal care services and to recommend measures which should be taken to improve them.
Two major problems were identified: firstly, communication difficulties between health-care providers and the women and, secondly, a severe lack of information available to the women regarding health, medical and welfare services in Japan.
In particular, communication difficulties were a big burden for health care providers in that they presented an obstacle to collecting medical histories, to finding out about symptoms, to establishing good rapport with the patients and to providing spiritual support. It also made it difficult to provide health care based on informed consent.
Systematic assistance from medical interpreters is urgently needed in order to provide foreign women with the same level of care as that provided to Japanese patients.
