Australian healthcare professionals’ perspectives of educating Chinese-speaking cardiac patients: a combined methods study

Background Information is scarce on Australian providers’ experience supporting Chinese-speaking cardiac patients and communication resources available. This study aims to fill an important gap in the literature and provide information, which can be applied to daily practice. Objectives 1) Identify communication barriers and impact on providers’ perceived confidence communicating with Chinese-speaking patients, 2) Determine availability, usefulness, accessibility, and providers’ preferences for communication resources, 3) Examine associations between types of resources and providers’ communication confidence. Methods Chapter 2: Systematic search of National "Heart Foundation" Websites for Chinese-language resources. Chapter 3: Electronic databases search from 1980 to 2017 for research on health providers’ experience supporting Chinese immigrants. Main study: Combined methods design using a structured survey and semi-structured interviews to assess communication experience of Australian cardiac providers caring for Chinese-speaking patients. Survey was conducted online and in-person. Interviews were undertaken with a subsample by phone. Conclusions: Few good quality, culturally sensitive online Chinese-language resources are available. For health providers, common experience supporting Chinese immigrants included: 1. family-centric information exchange, 2. mismatch of provider-patient health beliefs and knowledge, 3. mismatch of provider language needs and resource availability. Multiple perceived language and cultural barriers exist, and current resources are not providing sufficient support to providers. Providers’ overall communication confidence was low. The most popular resources were interpreters and written information, yet quality inconsistencies and information inaccuracy exis