West African Immigrant Communication Experiences in US Healthcare Settings

Good communication between patients and healthcare providers is vital to ensure quality of care. This study discusses communication barriers faced by West African immigrant patients within the U.S. healthcare system, including language and accent difficulties, cultural competence, ethnic beliefs, and accessibility to healthcare. This research uses qualitative interviews to understand further how barriers affect patient outcomes and satisfaction. Findings show that language and cultural misinterpretations are familiar with treatment delays, inappropriate care, distrust of healthcare providers, and low healthcare utilization rates. Moreover, patients are discouraged from seeking timely care due to perceived rudeness and exclusionary attitudes of medical professionals. All of this notwithstanding, the study suggests ways to tackle these problems, such as providing cultural sensitivity training to healthcare providers, increasing the number of African healthcare professionals, and improving patient education initiatives. Systemic improvements to bridge communication gaps and improve healthcare access for West African immigrant patients can be promoted by developing and implementing culturally competent care healthcare policies, which in turn encourage more active patient involvement. These findings highlight the need for additional research and targeted interventions to achieve high-quality, inclusive care for this population.