Accents don’t hurt patients, attitudes do | Ranjana Srivastava

In my entire medical career, I’ve never heard of a patient who died because the doctor had an accent

Walking up some stairs to my office, I spot a flyer stuck in a busy thoroughfare area. By the time I absorb its contents I have to retrace my steps to take a more careful look. Then, the onslaught of work removes all possibility of being distracted by a piece of advertising. The interpreters are overbooked today and my cancer clinic is burgeoning with people who can’t wait.

The first patient is from Punjab, an elderly woman accompanied by her husband. “What language do you feel comfortable with, English or Hindi?”

Related: I'm a doctor from a disadvantaged background. Why is that so unusual?

I have lost count of the mishaps and deaths from inattention, overconfidence, and plain arrogance

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Continue reading... February 07, 2018 at 08:43AM