Primary Care, Second Language: Podcast Project Phase 2

Purpose: In 2021, 18.3% of Saskatchewan’s population did not speak English as their mother tongue, creating potential communication barriers in healthcare settings. The “Primary Care, Second Language Podcast Project: Phase 2” evaluated a pilot project aimed at equipping healthcare professionals with a podcast resource to enhance care for marginalized populations. Interviews were conducted to explore podcast contributors’ perspectives on its impact, creation process, challenges, and sustainability.

Methods: Ten contributors involved in the podcast's creation were interviewed via Zoom for 20-30 minutes. Interviews focused on the podcast's potential to improve communication between healthcare providers and patients, the creation process and its challenges, suggestions for improvement, and sustainability beyond the pilot phase.

Results: All participants agreed that podcasts are useful for teaching essential phrases in multiple languages, augmenting patient care and trust. Challenges included finding optimal translation phrases, funding, technical difficulties, and time constraints. Suggestions for sustainability included securing resources, adding subtitles, creating simplified audio formats, and engaging community organizations.

Conclusion: Our findings demonstrate that the podcast addresses important social determinants of health, such as education, literacy, and equitable healthcare access, by bridging communication gaps between healthcare professionals and patients. Feedback from contributors will guide future project development and potential expansion.