Question

 

PHC312

Health Communications

Q:

• Discuss some health communication strategies used by Saudi MOH during COVID-19
• Give examples

Briefly evaluate these strategies (or one of the examples)

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) has experienced rapid growth in its healthcare system, leading to an influx of many foreign professional nurses in the healthcare workforce. This increasing trend of foreign professional nurses into the KSA healthcare system has serious implications such as cultural, language and communication barriers that in turn have the potential to compromise the ability to ensure quality of care to Saudi patients.

KSA is a conservative Islamic country and has other unique cultural and language traits, the large involvement of foreign workers in its healthcare system has its implications for cultural, language and communication barriers. This paper focuses on language and communication barriers in healthcare systems that can lead to compromised quality of care and proposes recommendations on how to address removing healthcare communication barriers. The Saudi Ministry of Health (MoH) is a government department whose responsibility is to develop a network of primary healthcare centers and ensure that the Saudi population has adequate access to care. An essential development has been a comprehensive referral system throughout a broad base of general and specialist hospitals.

Clear communication between the patient and caregivers is paramount for ensuring the highest quality of health practices. In a study by Cioffi,  23 registered nurses and certified midwives working in Sydney, Australia were interviewed; 10 of whom were from a variety of non-Anglo-centric backgrounds such as Asia, South America, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Europe and indigenous Australia. The study found that interpreters and bilingual health workers were effectively used to facilitate communication with culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) patients, and some nurses showed empathy, respect and willingness to make an effort in the communication process, while others showed an ethno-centric orientation.The chief recommendations were that the medical authority should prioritize health workers having access to appropriate linguistic services, and the provision of support for nurses by multi-lingual healthcare workers. ^[It was felt that assisting nurses to develop their awareness of cultural diversity would build acceptance, appreciation, and commitment to the care of CLD patients and their families.

It is not only the act of communication, but the parties with which the nurse in the Saudi Arabia workforce communicates that is shaped by the Saudi culture. Expatriate nurses should be made aware of a dominant Arab practice, that Saudi patients will have a family member or "sitter" with them during most of their duration of stay in a clinical setting. ^[20] As a consequence, communication, not only with the patient, but with family, friends, and the sitter will be a necessary and an integral part of delivering healthcare. ^[20]

With these challenges to culturally competent care, it is not surprising that Saudi patients are not always very satisfied with the care they receive. Mansour and Al-Osimy ^[21] interviewed 300 Saudi patients regarding their satisfaction with the quality of healthcare at three primary care centers in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The results revealed a high degree of dissatisfaction in one of these centers in the item related to "nurse's way of treating you," which may have been due to the presence of non-Arabic speaking nurses in the center. These findings provide evidence and explanations regarding the gaps in communication with respect to the culture in the KSA healthcare system. These gaps are important because they have the potential to affect the quality of care.

Answer 1

· Discuss some health communication strategies used by Saudi MOH during COVID-19

                                       

                                        Saudi Arabia is a country in western Asia and it is one of the biggest Arab countries in the world. The official religion of Saudi Arabia is Islam. Health care in Saudi Arabia is a national health care system in which the government provides health care services through a number of government agencies. Saudi Arabia hire majority of their health care professionals especially nurses from outside the country which results in the flow of many foreign Nurses into kingdom of Saudi Arabia. But their arise a serious issue that is cultural, language and communication barrier. As we told earlier Saudi Arabia is a conservative Muslim country has its own tradition ,unique culture and language. This paper focus on how the language and communication barrier in health care system affects the quality of care and proposes some ways to overcome those health care communication barriers. Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has a separate department of health known as Ministry of health. This department works to ensure adequate access to health care for Saudi population by developing a network of primary health centers. The facility of referral from these primary health centers to higher levels such as general and specialist hospitals also have been made, if it is required. To render better quality care it is a topmost requirement to have clear communication between patient and care givers. The linguistic and cultural barriers may not enhance this clear communication process. A study was conducted in Sydney,Austrlia by Cioffi in which 23 registered nurses and certified Midwives were interviewed. 10 of the samples belongs to non anglo-centric back grounds such Asia, South America, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Europe and indigenous Australia. The results of the study shows that language translators and bilingual health professionals were used to ensure proper exchange of ideas with culturally and linguistically diverse Patients. Few samples participated showed empathy, respect and made an effort in the communication process. At the same time others participated in the study showed an ethno-centric orientation.

                                 The major recommendations made in this study are medical and health authority should ensure adequate access to linguistic services and it is the need of the hour to appoint multi lingual health care workers to support the nurses from other countries. To care and support culturally and linguistically diverse patients and their families, awareness on cultural diversity would be built. So that they will give acceptance, appreciation and commitment while taking care of such patients.

                               Nurses from other courtiers working in Saudi Arabia need to know the richness of culture in Saudi Arabia. Saudi has its own unique culture Saudi patients will have nearest family member, kin or “Sitter” who will stay with those patients throughout the hospital stay. While rendering care to patients, she may also need to communicate with sitter or a friend which is an essentials part of delivering care in that Country. Such challenges are existing in Saudi Arabia and patient may not be always satisfied with the care they receive amidst these challenges.

                                       Another study was conducted by mansour and Al-Osimy. They have used interview technique to collect data from 300     Saudi patients on satisfaction with quality of health care they are receiving at three primary health care centers in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The finding of the study shows that there was high degree of dissatisfaction in one among the three primary health care centres upon the item “nurse’s way of treating you”. This finding may be due to the lack of non Arabic speaking nurses in the primary health centre. What can be drawn from this was, there exist a gap in communication with regard to the culture in kingdom of Saudi Arabia health care system. These gaps need to be addressed seriously or else which may have serious impact on quality of health care providing.   

                           Nursing is a unique profession and one of the fundamental principles of which is to have good interpersonal relationship and to establish good rapport with clients. Communication is the wonderful tool in achieving it. Without good communication how can a nurse render quality of care? Therefore it is essential to train the nurse on local language and culture before appointing for particular job.