Exploring dialectal variations on quality health communication and healthcare delivery in the Sissala District of Ghana

Abstract

ABSTRACT This article explores the effects of dialectal variations on quality health communication and healthcare delivery using ethnomethodology. The study revealed that healthcare providers and patients in the Sissala District of Ghana experienced significant difficulties in communicating health needs: misinterpretations and miscommunication characterised the interactions between patients and providers due to dialectal variations and cultural differences. This culminated into reliance on untrained interpreters to enhance communication. The paper recommended that Ghana Health Services should consider issues of linguistic abilities and cultural sensitivity when posting staff to areas that are characterised by multiple languages and dialectal variations.