Authors:

Leslie Granados

Date Created:

Not specified

Course Title:

Professor:

Not specified

About Paper:

Spanish-speaking Latina mothers are one of the fastest growing patient populations in the United States, yet language discordance and culturally mismatched communication still limit clear access to critical health information and timely care. These barriers are linked to delayed prenatal care and confusion during medical decision making, demonstrating a persistent gap in how culturally concordant health information is designed and delivered. This project documents the process of developing bilingual maternal health materials as part of a community engaged maternal health initiative in Detroit, Michigan. We conducted qualitative analysis of patient experiences from Spanish-speaking mothers who received care through a large health system and community-based clinic. Our analysis identified three primary communication barriers: difficulty understanding medical terminology, challenges navigating health system resources, and discomfort initiating questions with providers. These findings guided the creation of bilingual materials that use plain language, culturally familiar phrasing, and visual aids to explain care steps and increase patient comprehension and confidence in clinical interactions. The development process focused on comprehension, cultural relevance, and accessible layout and imagery. Final materials will be shared with community members for review and feedback. The translated materials provide structured guidance for prenatal and childbirth care and address common communication gaps. This framework can support implementation of bilingual doula and culturally concordant care programs and improve equitable access to maternal health information. Findings suggest that culturally concordant communication tequires both accurate linguistic translation and structural explanation of care processes.

Source:

Chicago Area Undergraduate Research Symposium

Topics:

No topics listed

Co-authors:

Leslie Granados