The lived experience of non-English and limited English speaking Hispanic persons associated with a past in-patient hospitalization in the United States: A phenomenological study

Abstract

The Hispanic population in the United States faces many challenges such as differences in language, culture, education, and socioeconomics. Research findings suggest that poor acculturation, language barriers and healthcare provider biases are associated with decreased access to care, lack of insurance or underinsurance, underutilization of services, feelings of isolation and powerlessness, which may lead to poor health outcomes. Some improvement in patient satisfaction, decreased rates of miscommunication and improved access to care has been noted with the implementation of the National CLAS standards. Findings from research studies conducted in the community and emergency settings suggest that patients’ perception of care can vary across healthcare settings and geographic locations. In the U.S., there is growing but limited research to the perceptions of the Hispanic non-English or limited English speaking persons related to an inpatient hospitalization experience. This is an important issue to address as patients with language barriers are vulnerable and the individual level support that may be experienced in community settings may not be present in the hospital. Furthermore, in order to close the disparity gap in quality of care, it is essential to examine the healthcare needs of patients at all healthcare settings.

This hermeneutical phenomenological study explored the lived experience of non-English and limited English speaking Hispanic persons associated with past in-patient hospitalization in the United States. Participants were recruited through purposive sampling from area community centers. The researcher conducted 11 participant interviews with non-English speaking and limited English speaking Hispanic persons. Data saturation was reached; six themes and 19 subthemes emerged from the analysis. This hermeneutical phenomenological study provides a voice for this population and contributes to the current body of nursing research.