Language barriers in German outpatient diabetes care: a cross-sectional study on multilingual treatment and the use of interpreters

Language barriers significantly contribute to limited access and treatment quality in diabetic health care for ethnic minority groups. The study assesses the extent of linguistic resources and barriers in outpatient diabetes care in Germany.

The questionnaire-based explorative cross-sectional study included all certified outpatient diabetological practices in Germany (N = 169), assessing, among other things, medical professionals’ (MP) language competencies, language barriers in treatment, use of and attitudes towards professional interpreters.

One hundred and seven practices (63%) participated in the study, with an average of 16 MPs employed; of these, 47.2% spoke at least one other language than German, with 35.2% using their multilingual competencies actively for treating patients. Of all patients, 6.3% had German language skills which were insufficient for treatment situations, with this variable significantly predicted by the MPs’ multilingual treatment offers; 95.4% of the interpreter-assisted situations were supported by family members/friends. Among the clinicians, 86.0% appreciated a better participation for the patient being enabled by professional interpreters. The use of a professional interpreter in consultations was predicted by prior experience in working with interpreters.

The low proportion of patients with limited language proficiency suggests numerous barriers for patients to enter the outpatient diabetes care system. The multilingual capabilities among MPs do not cover the patients´ linguistic needs. Though MPs agree that professional interpreters are a good way to overcome language barriers, this study highlights obstacles that hinder clinicians from relying on professional interpreters.