Language barrier in healthcare – harmful to the patient’s health, exhausting for the healthcare worker and expensive for the public
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Medical student at the University of Tartu, member of the Estonian Medical Students’ Association, assistant physician at the North-Estonian Regional Hospital
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Medical student at the University of Tartu, project manager of assistant medicine at the Estonian Medical Students’ Association
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Internal medicine physician at the North-Estonian Regional Hospital, member of the Estonian Young Physicians’ Association
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Mathematical statistics student
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Mathematical statistics student
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Medical student at the University of Tartu, vice-president of the Estonian Medical Students’ Association
Language barriers in healthcare compromise patient safety, exhaust medical personnel, and impose substantial costs on the state.
Drawing on a national survey of nearly 2,400 Estonian healthcare professionals, this study reveals systemic linguistic mismatches: while over 28% of Estonia’s population speaks Russian as a mother tongue, only a third of doctors are sufficiently fluent to provide care in Russian. Younger practitioners, though proficient in English, lack Russian skills, leading to miscommunication, redundant testing, and even cancelled consultations. Professional medical interpreters are virtually absent, and ad hoc solutions—colleagues, family members, or translation apps—undermine confidentiality and care quality. The authors call for a sustainable, digital medical translation tool to bridge linguistic gaps, reduce inefficiencies, and uphold equitable care. The status quo is untenable: communication is not a luxury but a clinical necessity.