Tips for Ensuring Quality Healthcare as a Haitian Immigrant

By Jonathan Freidin

The United States’ health care system, often praised for its advanced technology and specialized expertise, can pose numerous challenges for Haitians. Language barriers, cultural insensitivity and, unfortunately, racial bias contribute to marginalization and inadequate care. Law firms in South Florida are increasingly faced with medical malpractice lawsuits in the Haitian community. But while lawsuits are a good deterrent, the best way to prevent problems is to empower the Haitian community to stand up for itself and dismantle these disparities.

The disproportionate health care outcomes for people of color are well documented. Research shows that Haitian patients, like other minority groups, are more likely to experience longer wait times, misdiagnoses and inadequate pain management than their white counterparts. This disparity stems from a complex web of factors, including unconscious biases among healthcare providers, a lack of cultural sensitivity in communication and treatment approaches, and historical mistrust within minority communities of the medical establishment.

While language barriers can undoubtedly contribute to communication problems, a sole focus on translation services misses a crucial point. Discrimination often manifests itself in subtle, unconscious ways. A dismissive tone, minimizing symptoms, or an inability to fully investigate the medical history can all indicate implicit bias. Understanding these subtler forms of prejudice allows the Haitian community to challenge the status quo and demand fair treatment.

The Haitian community has enormous resilience and strength. These qualities are essential in eliminating disparities in health care, and it is critical to demand culturally competent care.

How to best advocate for yourself

When visiting a hospital, it is best to take detailed notes on paper or a phone of the conversations and interactions.

Audio or video recording without consent is against Florida law. However, patients and family members can ask healthcare providers if they will allow a call recording. Patients can also request a Haitian-Creole translator if communication becomes a problem. Additionally, just as often, it can be helpful to bring a friend or family member with you; they can advocate on behalf of the patient and provide a crucial recourse if care goes wrong. And it always helps to have an extra pair of ears listening to a patient’s care plan.

Advocacy is critical to ensuring that there are no delays or errors in care. If a specialist consultation takes too long, a medication is ordered but is not administered in a timely manner, or there is confusion about the diagnosis or necessary care, speak up and document it.

Patients have the right to seek a second or third opinion from another doctor and may choose to change hospitals. If issues or concerns persist, all hospitals have a “Risk Management Department” or office charged with ensuring high-quality care and that all employees follow hospital policies and protocols. Hospital staff often go to great lengths to ensure patients receive good care and respond to problems when they know Risk Management is aware of the situation.

Finally, when all else fails, patients and their families should know that they have the legal right to seek justice for injuries caused by a healthcare provider’s negligence. Even noncitizens and undocumented immigrants have the right to contact a medical malpractice attorney and file a lawsuit for damages.

But the responsibility for eliminating health care disparities cannot rest solely on the shoulders of the Haitian community. Healthcare organizations must proactively address implicit bias among their workforces, invest in cultural competency training, and prioritize inclusive communication practices. Policymakers must implement regulations that ensure fair access to quality care for all.

By working together – patients, healthcare providers, community organizations and policy makers – we can create a health care system where cultural differences are respected, communication is transparent and all patients, regardless of race or ethnicity, receive the highest quality care they deserve. .

Jonathan Freidin is a Managing Partner at Freidin Brown, PA, a Miami-based personal injury and medical malpractice law firm. He has recovered tens of millions of dollars in settlements and jury verdicts on behalf of medical malpractice victims in the state of Florida. The Miami native currently serves on the Miami Beach Planning Board and serves on the board of directors of the Florida Justice Association.

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