Language Barriers in Multilingual Healthcare Settings and Their Context in Hungary
Abstract
Due to international migration and changes in the cultural and linguistic composition of societies, linguistic barriers are becoming increasingly common in Hungarian healthcare, threatening effective communication, patient safety, the quality of care, and the protection of patients’ rights. This study presents eight case studies that illustrate the diversity of problems arising from language barriers and outlines possible solutions based on international literature. It then examines the situation in Hungary, reviewing language policy frameworks, the lack of professional interpreting services, and multilingual healthcare documents, as well as the ad hoc communication strategies used by healthcare professionals. Special attention is given to the low number of trained language experts in healthcare and the possible reasons for this shortage. Finally, the study introduces the 2023-established Language Assistance in Hungarian Health Care: Translations for Effective Communication (LAHTEC) research group, which aims to develop system-level solutions for language assistance. The study emphasizes that reducing linguistic barriers is essential not only ethically, but also economically and legally, to improve the effectiveness of healthcare delivery.
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