Language Access and Orofacial Pain

Roxanne Bavarian; Rachel Harris; Nicole Holland

doi:10.1016/j.cden.2022.07.014

Language Access and Orofacial Pain

Dent Clin North Am. 2023 Jan;67(1):187-198. doi: 10.1016/j.cden.2022.07.014. Epub 2022 Oct 27.

Authors

Roxanne Bavarian¹, Rachel Harris², Nicole Holland³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, 55 Fruit Street, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Harvard School of Dental Medicine, 188 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
² Harvard School of Dental Medicine, 188 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
³ Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, 1 Kneeland Street, Boston, MA 02111, USA. Electronic address: Nicole.Holland@tufts.edu.

PMID: 36404078
DOI: 10.1016/j.cden.2022.07.014

Abstract

Clear and effective communication is vital to quality patient care. More than 66 million Americans (21.5%) speak a language other than English at home, with more than 25 million (8.2%) speaking English "less than very well." Addressing language differences in the orofacial pain setting is of utmost importance to care quality, treatment outcomes, and overall health equity. In the case presented, language-related communication challenges affect the diagnosis and management of a patient with orofacial pain. This case highlights the significance of language discordance in the clinical setting and demonstrates the need for greater language access in the orofacial pain field.

Keywords: Access to care; Health literacy; Interpreter services; Language access; Limited English proficiency; Orofacial pain.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Communication
Facial Pain* / diagnosis
Facial Pain* / etiology
Facial Pain* / therapy
Humans
Language*
Quality of Health Care
United States