Caregiver Resources Tools & Tips

What is uCareLINGO?

Guy Matorin, uCarenet CXO

May 24, 2022

Tools & Tips

Communication is a crucial consideration in healthcare. Both patients and health care providers need to be able to understand each other. This aids in accurately diagnosing and treating a person, as well as adding to their comfort and security in knowing that they are in good hands.

This blog presents information about uCareLINGO, an application (app) designed to improve communication between patients and nurses and other health care providers. Discussion focuses on the benefits of communicating with seniors and patients in their own language, and how doing so can positively affect health outcomes.

The uCareLINGO Mission is to equip health care professionals with the modern technology to make providing care seamless and easy. There are three audiences that benefit from our unique app including:

Communication Barriers Perceived by Nurses and Patients

As a health care professional, you want to be able to know what symptoms a person is experiencing and the concerns they have about their health. Your practitioner role may be as a nurse, physician, physician assistant, nurse practitioner, therapist, counselor, or another central to health care provision.

Communication barriers are varied, including hearing and visual changes or limitations, dementia and mental health concerns, as well as misunderstanding of information. Use of plain language can help reduce miscommunication by improving a patient’s understanding of the information you share.

You’re aware of the importance of clear communication and the potential hazards of miscommunication that occur because of these and other communication barriers. These can include:

Communicating with Patients and Seniors in Their Own/Primary Language

When you communicate with patients and seniors in their primary or preferred language, both of you are more likely to have improved satisfaction with the experience. Certainly, your being able to communicate, even at a basic level, results in:

How Communication Barriers Negatively Affect Health Inequities and Outcomes & What to Do About It

People who communicate most effectively in their primary language are more likely to experience health inequities that often begin with limited or delayed access to care. This is often related to economic barriers that limit accessing or being able to pay for primary care. Sadly, this results in:

These points and others are addressed by a research team concerned about healthcare as part of resettlement for immigrants now living in Canada. It is worthwhile noting that these concerns apply as well to immigrants who have moved to other countries. The team points out that there are multiple communication barriers, a number of which are at a systems level, such as:

Added to these concerns, the authors point out that immigrants are also adjusting to the variations between the health systems in their country of origin and Canada. Plus, they come with health belief and customs that may be misunderstood due to language barriers.

Steps for Connecting Seniors with Their Linguistic & Cultural Roots

When seniors and newly resettled patients can connect with you as their healthcare provider using their primary language, this also helps with accessing their cultural roots. This in turn links to beliefs and practices that affect health care decisions. This certainly brings to mind the immediacy of how to improve communication despite the challenges just noted.

Enter uCareLINGO! This is a care-based voice translation application (app) developed in Canada and designed to break down language barriers between you, the health care provider, and your patients. The app supports you in learning more about each person’s needs, thus reducing delays in care while offering patients and their family members peace of mind. It has a number of features that aid in streamlining communication in at least 17 different languages, with more to be added. It enables you to:

The good news is uCareLINGO can be downloaded at the app store where you can also read more about this refined app designed for health care providers like you. You can also request more information by visiting us at: https://ucarelingo.com/

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