Journal of perinatology : official journal of the California Perinatal Association
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Multicenter Study Observational Study
The impact of parental primary language on communication in the neonatal intensive care unit.
Language barriers contribute to suboptimal healthcare delivery. We sought to explore disparities in communication between English and Spanish-speaking parents and their neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) providers. ⋯ Spanish-speaking NICU parents more commonly misunderstood aspects of their child's care than did English-speaking parents. Providers' failed to communicate with Spanish-speaking families in their native language the majority of the time. Additional research is needed to assess the barriers to effective communication between NICU providers and Spanish-speaking parents.