Eastern Kentucky University
A Needs Assessment: Emergency Room Experiences of the Latino Community in Monroe County, Indiana
Institution
Eastern Kentucky University
Faculty Advisor/ Mentor
Millicent Fleming-Moran
Abstract
The Latino population has grown exponentially in the past decade, especially in Monroe County, IN. This population is considered medically underserved due to limited English proficiency, lack of insurance, or other cultural differences. A needs assessment was conducted to determine how accessible emergency care services are to this community with two goals in mind: 1) to determine what has already been done by the previous Latino Task force needs Assessment and 2) to understand the community's perception of the level of culturally competent procedures available in the ER setting of Bloomington Hospital. One-on-one structured interviews were conducted with ten key Latino advocates and other local health service providers to the Hispanic community. Transcribed interviews were analyzed for consistent themes among the key informants. Findings include difficulty understanding the function of the ER, not disclosing full medical history because of fear of deportation, and billing and follow-up difficulties. Barriers to Emergency Department care depend on a Latino's immigration and financial status, language capacity and appointment availability in language-friendly public, and low cost clinics. Lack of familiarity with hospital protocols, untrained interpreters, and confusion over payments makes the ER a confusing yet obvious source of care. These findings are part of a broader assessment of service barriers for Bloomington Latinos, and will be used to formulate continuing education/cultural competency training for the Emergency Department staff of Bloomington Hospital.
A Needs Assessment: Emergency Room Experiences of the Latino Community in Monroe County, Indiana
The Latino population has grown exponentially in the past decade, especially in Monroe County, IN. This population is considered medically underserved due to limited English proficiency, lack of insurance, or other cultural differences. A needs assessment was conducted to determine how accessible emergency care services are to this community with two goals in mind: 1) to determine what has already been done by the previous Latino Task force needs Assessment and 2) to understand the community's perception of the level of culturally competent procedures available in the ER setting of Bloomington Hospital. One-on-one structured interviews were conducted with ten key Latino advocates and other local health service providers to the Hispanic community. Transcribed interviews were analyzed for consistent themes among the key informants. Findings include difficulty understanding the function of the ER, not disclosing full medical history because of fear of deportation, and billing and follow-up difficulties. Barriers to Emergency Department care depend on a Latino's immigration and financial status, language capacity and appointment availability in language-friendly public, and low cost clinics. Lack of familiarity with hospital protocols, untrained interpreters, and confusion over payments makes the ER a confusing yet obvious source of care. These findings are part of a broader assessment of service barriers for Bloomington Latinos, and will be used to formulate continuing education/cultural competency training for the Emergency Department staff of Bloomington Hospital.