Why Learning a Second Language Can Help Doctors Improve Patient Outcomes

Being a doctor means being fully dedicated to the well-being of your patients. Your entire career needs to be filled with education, new skills, innovative methods, and constant learning. This is to ensure you’re staying on top of things and your patient’s health is in the best hands.

One of the things that can help you on that never-ending journey of self-progress is learning a second language. If you’re not sure how it can help you and other doctors improve patient outcomes, just keep reading!

Patient Communication

Working with the patients and gaining their trust is the key to setting the right diagnosis and determining the best treatment plan. Without proper doctor-patient communication, doctors can easily misinterpret the symptoms and make mistakes.

Doctors can often run into patients who don’t speak their language. In such situations, it would be great for the doctor to speak another language and manage to establish solid communication. It would allow them to:

• get patients to open up
• gain their trust
• ask for details about the symptoms
• ask follow-up questions
• be spontaneous and relax the patient

Patients will feel more comfortable speaking with someone in their native language and being sure the doctor understands them. Combining your knowledge with some simple translation tools will lead to general patient satisfaction improvement. A 2020 study showed that 92% of doctors and patients felt significant improvement after introducing such practice. As a result, the doctor would get all the necessary information and be able to apply it to the treatment plan.

Education Resources

As a medical expert, you need to improve your knowledge and skills almost daily. Without progress, your initial education will soon be outdated, and you won’t be able to give your patients the best treatment.

But, not all the best case studies, research results, dissertations, and publications are done in English. There are so many more that are done in other languages that you’re unable to access unless you find translation services online to translate it for you. But, if you spoke another language, you’d instantly double the available education resources.

You’d be able to:

• read more reliable resources
• take part in international case studies
• attend more seminars and webinars

You’d be making room for yourself to learn more and expand your field of education. Consequently, you’d be able to give your patients more when the time comes to apply that knowledge.

Professional Opportunities

Speaking more than one language is considered a huge benefit in the professional world today. Any employer will see it as an advantage over other similar candidates. This is why for doctors looking for outstanding professional opportunities, learning a second language is a great idea.

It would help you get a spot at a private hospital with the best equipment, experts, and learning opportunities. You’ll be able to receive the best professional feedback and grow into a better doctor.

This would result in you being more skilled, confident, and competent in treating your patients later on. It would improve their outcomes and give you the satisfaction of professional success that you’re aiming for.

Foreign Country Practical Experience

Doctors know that it’s one thing to read about different treatments, methods, and medical tools in books and a whole other thing to use it all practically. Different hospitals have very different methodologies, and experiencing this diversity firsthand is a huge plus for any doctor.

This is why traveling to another country and working in a hospital is an even better idea.

Speaking a second language is a huge benefit in this case since it allows doctors to:

• fully immersed in the hospital routine
• learn first-hand from doctors in their native language
• establish open and spontaneous communication
• use their learning resources

Doctors could take a look at medical documents, participate in seminars, and attend meetings, all without the language barrier. It would make the entire experience far more successful and beneficial.

Culturally Sensitive Care

Finally, doctors need to be aware that people from different cultures expect a different treatment approach. Understanding the cultural background and beliefs of your patient is crucial for giving them the care and treatment they need.

Luckily, language learning is, to some extent, learning about the culture, so you’ll have the upper hand. This will allow you to:

• provide a culturally acceptable medical examination
• establish communication of understanding

You’ll be able to set up all the details that would make the patient feel fully comfortable. By respecting their culture, you’ll be respecting their mind and body.

Final Thoughts

Speaking a second language allows doctors to expand their field of activity, learning, and treating patients. They’re able to learn more, communicate with diverse people, and gather all the best practices from all over. As a result, they can provide their patients with the best treatments and thus improve their outcomes immensely.

So, start learning a new language to allow yourself such a rich professional journey.

Author’s Bio

Olivia Evans is a language expert and a blogger. She writes tips for mastering a second language, using language skills to excel in all fields of life, and enjoying the benefits of being bilingual.