Healthcare is built on trust, and trust begins with communication. Through my community service translating materials for elderly visually impaired individuals in a Spanish-language support group, I have witnessed firsthand how easily patients can feel excluded or misunderstood. However, for many individuals, especially those from racially and linguistically diverse backgrounds, clear communication in medical settings is not guaranteed.
While medical advancements continue to improve treatment options, lack of patient understanding remains a huge problem. These experiences have shaped my belief that increasing racial and cultural diversity throughout healthcare is essential to improving patient care and outcomes.
Healthcare professionals are often the people with whom patients interact the most during moments of fear, confusion, or vulnerability. They explain procedures, coordinate care, and offer reassurance when patients feel overwhelmed. Because of this close and ongoing contact, providers play an important role in ensuring patients feel safe and heard.
While volunteering for Visions, a New York City-based nonprofit that assists visually impaired older adults with daily living tasks, I observed elderly Spanish-speaking individuals become more engaged and confident once health-related information was presented in their own language. When a provider shares a patient’s language, cultural background, or lived experiences, a deeper connection can be built, leading to better communication. Patients are more likely to ask questions, voice concerns, and follow medical guidance.
My work translating special event materials for elderly visually impaired individuals has shown me how important accessible communication can be. Many individuals in the Spanish-language support group I assist struggle navigating healthcare systems due to age or disability, so I use clear, simplified language and read information aloud during meetings to ensure everyone can follow along.
When language barriers are present, I have seen individuals grow quiet and anxious, fearing missing critical information about appointments or services. Translating materials may seem like a small act, but it allows individuals to participate fully in their community, understand important information, and feel respected rather than overlooked.
Despite the growing racial and ethnic diversity of the United States, the healthcare workforce does not reflect the communities it serves. For Spanish-speaking patients in particular, nearly one-in-four report difficulty finding a provider who speaks their language. When patients do not feel understood, they may delay care or struggle to communicate their needs. In my own experience as a child of Ecuadorian parents, I’ve had to translate my own doctor and hospital visits in addition to those of my mother.
Along the way I’ve mistranslated unfamiliar medical terms, and I could feel how my mother felt guilty needing me for those situations. By increasing both racial diversity and language access in healthcare, moments like those won’t have to be a common experience across America.
Racial and cultural diversity in healthcare also helps providers better understand the patients they serve. During my work translating for elderly Spanish-speaking individuals, I noticed that some patients were hesitant to ask questions about medications or appointments because they weren’t sure how to explain their concerns in English. Having someone who understands their language and even culture can make conversations easier and more meaningful. I’ve seen the relief of VISION residents once they realize I speak Spanish. This understanding helps patient care go smoothly as trust builds.
The benefits of diversity extend beyond individual patient interactions. Knowledge of social and cultural factors, including language barriers, family dynamics, and economic challenges, contributes to more inclusive and responsive healthcare systems. They can help shape policies and practices that prioritize inclusion. In a profession rooted in compassion, representation is not just meaningful; it is necessary.
As someone aspiring to work in healthcare, I feel a responsibility to be part of this change. My experiences translating for Spanish-speaking elderly individuals have taught me how meaningful it is to help someone feel seen and understood.
To make care more equitable, the medical world could increase recruitment of providers from underrepresented communities or expand language access programs. This could include offering funded interpreter services, supporting bilingual medical training pipelines, and ensuring translated materials are readily available for patients and families. These changes would help ensure that understanding in healthcare is not selective, and that no patient is denied care or dismissed simply because of their language or background.
Improving patient care begins with recognizing that effective communication is a form of care itself. Some may argue that expanding diversity and language access is costly or logistically difficult, but my experiences translating for Spanish-speaking elderly individuals show that even small efforts—such as providing materials in patients’ languages or showing basic understanding of their language and culture—can have a profound impact. When healthcare reflects the diversity of the communities they serve, it is not just more effective, but it becomes a system that honors every patient’s voice and needs.