Communication Barriers for Disadvantaged Individuals in Prehospital Emergency Medical Services: Impacts, Current Solutions, and Recommendations for Implementation

Öz

Prehospital emergency medical services play a critical role in reducing mortality and morbidity by providing early intervention in life-threatening situations. The effectiveness of these services is closely related not only to medical intervention capacity but also to effective communication between healthcare personnel and patients. However, various barriers can arise in communication processes, especially for disadvantaged individuals. The aim of this study is to examine the communication barriers faced by disadvantaged individuals in Prehospital emergency medical services and to evaluate the effects of these barriers on healthcare processes in light of the literature. This study presents a literature review, and the literature search was conducted in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and TR Dizin databases. The search process was carried out considering the PRISMA approach, and a total of 27 studies were evaluated according to the determined inclusion criteria. The examined studies were evaluated using the thematic analysis method. As a result of the literature review, it was determined that communication barriers in Prehospital emergency medical services are mainly related to language barriers, cultural differences, disability status, and infrastructure problems stemming from the healthcare system. It was observed that these barriers can prolong the time spent at the scene, complicate the anamnesis process, and affect clinical decision-making processes. Furthermore, it has been shown that the communication skills and cultural competence level of healthcare personnel play an important role in this process. In conclusion, reducing communication barriers in Prehospital emergency medical services is considered an important requirement for the effectiveness of healthcare services and patient safety. In this regard, it is recommended to develop communication and cultural competence training for healthcare personnel, to expand multilingual communication systems, and to develop accessible communication technologies for individuals with disabilities.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Prehospital emergency medical services
• disadvantaged individuals
• communication barriers
• language barrier
• patient safety
• paramedic
• inequality

Kaynakça

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