Date of Graduation
5-2025
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelor of Science in Public Health
Degree Level
Undergraduate
Department
Health, Human Performance and Recreation
Advisor/Mentor
Bridges, Ana
Committee Member
Davis, Robert
Abstract
Background: Children from households that speak languages other than English (LOE) face barriers in accessing healthcare, leading to poorer health outcomes. Language barriers contribute to these disparities, often resulting in diminished communication between providers and families. Visit duration may play a key role in facilitating effective communication and improving patient satisfaction.
Purpose: This study examines how language barriers affect caregiver satisfaction in pediatric primary care, and whether visit duration mediates this relationship. We hypothesized that caregivers from LOE households would have comparable visit durations to English-preferring caregivers but report lower satisfaction due to receiving less information within that time.
Methodology: This cross-sectional study recruited 46 caregivers of pediatric patients at the Community Clinic, a federally qualified healthcare center in Springdale, AR. Participants were recruited at the end of healthcare visits and completed the Session Rating Scale (Duncan et al., 2003), the Short Assessment of Patient Satisfaction Scale (SAPS; Hawthorne et al., 2006), and a demographic questionnaire. Participants also consented to the research team accessing pediatric patients’ medical records to collect demographic and clinical data. The sample included 27 LOE caregivers and 19 English-speaking caregivers, with the mean child age being 6.82 years (SD = 5.67). Visit duration was recorded as the time between check-in and check-out. Statistical analyses included an analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) to compare SAPS scores by language preference while controlling for child age, and a bivariate correlation to assess the relationship between visit duration and satisfaction.
Results: The hypothesis was not supported. SAPS scores were similar between English and LOE-speaking caregivers (p = .082). Visit duration was not significantly associated with satisfaction (r = 0.05, p = .367), and there was no significant difference in total visit duration between groups (p = .103). As a result, visit duration was not explored as a mediating factor. However, LOE caregivers rated PCP explanations significantly lower than English-speaking caregivers (p = .004), indicating potential communication barriers.
Discussion: While overall satisfaction did not differ between groups, LOE caregivers’ lower ratings of provider explanations may suggest a need to more closely examine translation services for improving communication from provider to patient. These findings commend the providers at Community Clinic for their service to a diverse population but highlight the potential benefit of enhancing language access initiatives. Future analysis will explore visit types, results from the Session Rating Scale, and the impact of patient-provider language concordance. Further research should investigate qualitative factors influencing satisfaction, including perceptions of provider empathy, trust, and engagement, to enhance culturally competent pediatric care.
Keywords
Caregiver; Pediatric Care; Community Clinic
Citation
Miller, G. (2025). Understanding the Impact of Language Barriers and Visit Duration on Caregiver Satisfaction in Pediatric Primary Care. Health, Human Performance and Recreation Undergraduate Honors Theses Retrieved from https://scholarworks.uark.edu/hhpruht/120
Included in
Community Health Commons, Community Health and Preventive Medicine Commons, Health Psychology Commons, Health Services Research Commons, Quality Improvement Commons
