Language Justice is Key for Health Equity in Palliative Care
A study published in the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management sought to identify the state of the literature on language interpretation in palliative care. Through a scoping review, the researchers identified four themes that were present across the literature: “language dis-concordance as a communication barrier, gap or challenge,” “value added by qualified medical interpreters,” “training for interpreters and palliative care professionals,” and “inclusion of interpreters in the palliative care team.” The research revealed that to provide equitable care that reflects language justice, interpreters should be added to the palliative care team.