Article: Communication hurdle in hospitals

Patients with communication difficulties are three times more likely to suffer preventable medical mistakes during hospital admissions than other patients, research shows.

International researchers, whose findings were published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, reviewed the files of over 2300 patients in Canadian hospitals, 63 of whom experienced a preventable error.

Patients with communication problems or psychiatric disorders were over-represented in this group and their experiences, including drug errors, poor clinical management, and anaesthesia, surgery or medical mishaps, led to prolonged or multiple hospital stays.

Language barriers, deafness and blindness were ...

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