Freiraum 2025

Overcoming Language Barriers in Medical History Taking

The project “Overcoming Language Barriers in Medical History Taking” at the University Hospital of Würzburg prepares students of medicine and midwifery for intercultural and linguistic challenges in clinical practice. Studies show that when it comes to healthcare for people with a migrant background in Germany, misdiagnoses, inadequate care, and insufficient patient information occur more frequently than among the native population. This is attributed to language barriers, sociocultural misunderstandings, and a lack of knowledge about migration and displacement, among other factors. Interacting with and caring for affected patients is often difficult in everyday clinical practice: Professional interpreters could help, but are often not available because the costs are not regularly covered by health insurance companies.

In the project modules, students acquire the necessary intercultural skills for successful communication with people from other cultural backgrounds using interpreters and other translation tools, as well as an awareness of culturally diverse perceptions of health and illness. The project addresses a gap in education and thus contributes to improving teaching and, in the long term, to better care for patients with a migration background or language barriers. Transfer to other locations is conceivable and desirable.