Search results

Following the introduction of user fee for interpreting in Danish health care, a considerable decrease in interpreter services has been shown. This study aims to explore the experiences of language minority patients with health-care encounters when an interpreter was needed but not present.

Semistructured, in-depth interviews were conducted with 13 language minority patients with limited Danish proficiency. All interviews were conducted with interpreters in the participants’ native language. Data were analyzed using an inductive thematic approach.

Most participants experienced communication difficulties and difficulties participating actively in their own health care. The experience of unresolved language barriers led to a high degree of uncertainty and left the participants with unanswered health concerns. Participants expressed a reluctance to seek health care, which consequently limited the utilization of health care services.

Although the findings only represent a small sample of patients, the results still reveal major challenges that minority-language patients encounter when seeking health care. Future studies should explore, if the intention of the law is met through the user fees.

Despite having the same entitlements as native Danish-speaking patients, minority-language patients experienced difficulties accessing and using health care services due to the user fee and unresolved language barriers. The study elucidates patient perspectives and points to important ways of improving the quality of health care.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, no investigation into the communicative consequences of the introduction of the user fee for interpreting services exists. Thus, this study seeks to address that gap.

The purpose of the study is to identify barriers to collaboration among female administrators at a Ghanaian technical university (TU), based on the social identity theory (SIT).

A mixed-method approach was adopted, integrating qualitative interviews of 15 female administrators and completing structured questionnaires from 117 randomly sampled female administrators. The SIT, as the analytical framework, identified themes emerging from the data on barriers to collaboration among female administrators. While exploratory factor analysis identified measures of factors hindering collaborations, the use of structural equation modeling (SEM) enabled the confirmation of relationships among the barriers to collaboration with female administrators.

There existed statistically significant relationships between four of the barriers: intergroup relations conflict, trust with stakeholders and among females and structural barriers (SBs). For the quantitative analysis, it was found that SBs, intergroup relations, conflict and trust were statistically significant except for weak cultures. For the qualitative, results showed that SBs, lack of trust with stakeholders and among females and intergroup conflict hinder collaboration.

The study has a limited scope in using only one TU and focusing on a particular gender. The implications of this research will enrich the literature on barriers to female administrative collaboration in technical education based on the SIT.

Promoting administrative collaborations in the TU will ensure sustainability and efficient administrative systems.

Institutional policies should include gender inclusivity and equality on networking opportunities and provide mentorship programs for efficient administrative systems.

We used the SIT to determine barriers to collaboration among female administrators in a technical education institution, and the mixed methodology added a unique dimension to the study.