Our Dr. Hans Launches Multi-Lingual Poster as a Communication Aid for Irish Doctors

A multilingual poster designed as a communication aid to address language barriers in general practice was launched recently in Galway University by Dr. Hans-Olaf Pieper who is well known to locally-based asylum seekers.The multilingual poster has been used in the consultation room of the Eglinton Accommodation Centre since April 2008 as part of a pilot project. Dr. Hans & Martin Bakala, one of the many friendly staff members in the Eglington demonstrate how to use it.

The arrival of migrant workers, asylum seekers and refugees to Ireland presents new challenges to Irish health services. A specific challenge for General Practice is that General Practitioners and their patients may not have a shared language. Over the past year, the Department of General Practice, National University of Ireland, Galway (NUIG) has collaborated with Pfizer Healthcare Ireland to develop a multilingual poster. The aim of the poster is to facilitate communication with patients with limited English proficiency, to provide a tool to overcome minor language barriers during consultations and to serve as a welcome poster in GP surgeries for patients coming from different ethnic backgrounds. The poster was developed and research related to the poster undertaken as part of the work of the Fellow in Asylum Seeker and Refugee Healthcare, NUIG. The current holder of the post is Dr Hans-Olaf Pieper. The post is a collaborative project between the Department of General Practice, NUIG, the Primary Care Department, HSE West and the Galway Refugee Support Group.

In light of a positive evaluation of a pilot project among GPs in Co. Galway, the multilingual poster and a quick guide for receptionists will be distributed to all GPs in Ireland at the end of the month.

It is hoped that the multilingual poster fulfils its aims and that it supports patients and GPs when experiencing minor language barriers in General Practice, always bearing in mind that the poster does not aim to replace the professional, trained interpreter, the use of whom remains strongly supported.

Rosebella don Pedro from the Galway Refugee Support Group, Mary McMahon, our English tutor from the VEC, Jorge Gelata & Hamida Soudi Juma from the Eglinton enjoyed a great time at the poster launch.