Barriers to Health Services

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Barriers to Health Services

Anything that comes in the way or prevents some service users from making use of the services they want, have a health or care-related need for and may even have a legal right to, are called ‘barriers to health service’.

Language Barriers

When communicating, the ability to get the message across effectively to others can be hampered by a number of barriers. As a care practitioner it is important to recognise barriers to communication and learn ways to overcome them. Language can be a barrier to communication because if the service user speaks a different language to the care practitioner, then they are not going to be able to communicate effectively if they do not understand what each person is saying. Having a language barrier between the care practitioner and service user isn’t the only difficulty in communication, the degree of language used in the care environment can also create a barrier to understanding. Many service users find the medical words on hospital signs are often complicated and the jargon of care practitioners hard to understand.

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The way the care practitioner uses language to communicate with the service user determines how the service user feels, therefore language being used to communicate should not be patronising, and avoid use of any such jargons or slang. Also advanced language should be avoided as the service user may feel embarrassed that they are unaware of what it means and so will be confused. It is best to use plain and clear English; this enables trust to be built at a faster pace between the care worker and care user. In all of these circumstances, language can be an ...

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