VIDEO: Minority Health Awareness Month highlights care practices for Hispanic patients
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Key takeaways:
- Physicians can provide language interpreters for patients with limited English proficiency.
- Hispanic patients can increase awareness about minority health by sharing their stories over social media.
AUSTIN, Texas — This April, Healio celebrates Minority Health Awareness Month with tips for health care professionals and patients on how to elevate care for Hispanic patients.
In this video, Lilia Cervantes, MD, associate professor at University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, discusses what physicians may not consider when treating Hispanic patients.
“For those of you taking care of Latinx patients, it's important to consider some of the challenges that they face, including limited English proficiency,” Cervantes told Healio. “Make sure that you have a language interpreter available to provide them with cultural- and language-concordant care and to consider some of the access to care barriers like health insurance.”
Cervantes said many Hispanic patients face discrimination and report mistrust. By connecting with these patients in an individualized way, Cervantes said patients will be more trusting and likely to adhere to the education physicians provide.
Further, there are steps that patients can take to maximize awareness. Cervantes suggests patients share their stories on social media and connect with nonprofit community-based organizations to participate in educational presentations.
“Too many Latinos have kidney disease,” Cervantes said. “One of the greatest problems is that they are not aware of their risk [for] kidney disease. So, as a patient, as a caregiver, you can engage in advocacy by letting others know of their risk.”
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